


Perfect Duality

by andrhars



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: AU (Tao lives), Alternate Universe, Brothels, Expanded Universe, F/F, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Not Canon Compliant At All, Obscure character from obscure print media, Self-Indulgent, The Force, pre Episode IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:48:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 42,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26328922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrhars/pseuds/andrhars
Summary: Banished from his Master's side, Tao has wandered the Galaxy alone for five long years, drifting from station to station, from planet to planet, always trying to stay a few steps ahead of the Inquisition.On a whim he goes to Tatooine, hoping to stay below the radar for a time.He didn't expect to make a friend...as well as find a very familiar presence in the Force.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Tao (Star Wars Manga)/Original Male Character
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **  
> Oh boy, it's time for something self-indulgent.**
> 
> **This story focuses on a character named Tao, whose first and only appearance was the Star Wars manga story called "Perfect Evil". Of course, his story didn't end happily, and I decided to give him a much happier ending with this fix-it fic...of sorts, because he is a good boy who deserves it.**
> 
> **This isn't canon compliant at all, and a lot of the information about Tatooine was made up as I went along, though I did my best to keep things somewhat accurate to what we know about our favourite ball of sand.**
> 
> **This story takes place a few years before Episode IV, and as such certain characters will be younger than when they first appear in the movies. Tao's own timeline has also been fudged with a bit in order to make things work.**
> 
> **Hope you enjoy this story!**
> 
> ****

The gangway ramp dropped with a loud hiss, steam billowing from the ventilation ducts, releasing excessive heat that had built up during the ship's entry through the atmosphere. The air that entered the cabin was hot and dry, and Tao did not look forward to stepping into it fully.

"Mos Eisley," Captain Adar, a giant of a man who'd been very sceptical about this trip until Tao had flashed him a generous amount of credits, said as he joined him by the ramp. "You'll regret coming here in about five minutes, kid. I'll stick around here for three days if you change your mind and want to head back. Price'll be the same, though."

Tao fought the urge to roll his eyes and smothered the little spike of anger he felt at being condescended to.

"I think I'll be fine," he said, giving the captain a grin. "Thank you for a pleasant trip."

That was a lie and half. The days he'd spent in a tiny little compartment usually meant for smuggled goods had been anything but pleasant. It was about all he could expect in terms of travel comfort, though, on account of being a wanted man by the Empire.

"Suit yourself," Adar said. "Like I said, three days and I'm out. Friend o' mine's keeping the customs officers busy, so if you want to slip away unnoticed, now's the time."

"I won't waste any of it, then," Tao said, nodding to the captain. "Good day to you, captain."

"Good luck out there, kid."

Tao stepped out of the ship and into the circular hangar building, pausing at the bottom of the ramp to take a breath.

It was _hot_.

He'd expected as much, what with Tatooine being primarily desert, but this was something else entirely. Above, twin suns shone down on him with such intensity he immediately had to raise the hood of his coat to protect his scalp.

This wasn't just hot. It was _scorching_. This was the sort of heat that mummified you before it had the decency to kill you. He took another breath and strode across the dusty hangar floor, heading for a small, conspicuously open service door instead of the large exit.

He ducked inside the doorway just in time to see a squad of Imperial stormtroopers march inside the hangar, their armour covered in sand and dust, dulling what had once been white and gleaming. They pointed at the small cargo ship and Adar, who'd descended the ramp and was leaning against one of the landing gears, looking very relaxed for a smuggler.

Tao didn't stay to watch what happened next, slipping down the cramped hallway, which was filled with tools and power units, until he reached another doorway guarded by a man wearing filthy overalls.

"You Adar's friend?" the man asked.

"Yes," Tao replied, though calling the captain a friend was a very generous description of their relationship. Smuggler and contraband were more accurate.

"Hang on," the man said. He pressed a button, and the door slid open with a loud grinding sound that suggested it needed maintenance. He ducked his head out, humming, before pulling back inside. "All right, no Imps in sight. Go on, get out of here."

Tao wasn't able to say anything else before he was rudely shoved out the door and into what turned out to be a small alley behind the hangar, the door slamming shut behind him.

And those were his first steps into Mos Eisley.

* * *

Tao's first few hours in Mos Eisley were exhausting. The streets were crowded and busy, dust and sand continually kicked up by feet, wheels, and transport engines, forcing him to keep rubbing his eyes. Everything was loud, with vendors crying out for passers-by to check out their wares and ships both large and small passing overhead.

And people.

So many of them.

This wasn't the first time Tao had been in a busy spaceport, but Mos Eisley felt more...packed. Cramped. The heat was probably a factor, and the narrowness of the streets, forcing people to cluster together.

That part helped with passing by the Imperial patrols unnoticed, luckily, so he couldn't be too annoyed about it.

All this, however, combined to make him feel a little strange, a tugging sensation in his head suggesting the coming of a migraine. Right, first point of priority was to secure lodgings for himself. This was a busy spaceport, surely there'd be no shortage of spare beds?

"Excuse me," he asked an orange-scaled Trandoshan who appeared to be selling a variety of extremely sharp blades and...some sort of fried meat on sticks that smelled delicious. "Do you know where I can find a hotel or an inn?"

"Eh?" The Trandoshan said, slit eyes narrowing at the human who'd wandered up to his stall.

"I need somewhere to rest," Tao said, wondering if the lizard-like vendor even understood Basic. "A bed. Can you tell me where?"

The Trandoshan looked at him with suspicion before jerking his head towards the mouth of a nearby alley.

"There," he hissed in accented Basic. "Now buy something or go away."

Tao did buy one of the sticks with meat. When he asked what kind of meat it was, the Trandoshan only gave a snort and turned to his next customer, leaving Tao to shrug and head into the alleyway, which turned out to be a maze of little stores and businesses, and a plethora of cantinas, hidden away in the shade cast by the tall buildings. It was definitely a more pleasant environment for Tao, who wasn't acclimatised to Tatooine's aridness.

As he bit into his food, he realised two things.

The first thing was that the meat was definitely of invertebrate origins, having a very soft consistency and offering virtually no resistance to chewing.

And the second thing being that it was so spicy he felt like the inside of his mouth had caught fire.

The third thing he realised, after a quick and desperate rummage in his bag, was that he had _not_ seen fit to bring or purchase anything to drink.

With his mouth burning so hot he was worried his teeth were going to melt, Tao quickly looked around for the nearest cantina. As luck would have it, there was one in the next street over, though its door was almost invisible, tucked away between two stalls selling trinkets that appeared to be mostly repurposed scrap.

He didn't have much time to take them in, however, as he hurried inside the cantina, past the huge security guard, and blindly stumbling up to the bar.

The bartender, a shiny and well-maintained droid of a model he didn't recognise, turned to greet him, shining eyes regarding him with programmed curiosity on its humanoid face.

"Welcome, sir slash madam, to The Oasis," it said in a deep voice. "I am M1-XR. How may I slake your thirst today?"

"Water," Tao managed to croak. "Please."

"Of course, sir slash madam," the droid said, his head bobbing up and down in a nod. Something went click inside his head. "Please, have a seat while I prepare your beverage, darling. In the meantime, you may use the holo to find what you desire."

Settling himself gratefully on a stool, his body complaining about the long, cramped flight, and then the hours of trudging through the streets, Tao could only stare at M1-XR's back as the droid fetched a long glass and used a complicated-looking machine to dispense fresh, clean water into it.

"Here you go, baby," M1-XR's said, placing the glass in front of Tao, barely having time to release his grip on it before the human had started gulping it down...all the while failing to notice the change in the droid's speech pattern. Then again, as far as Tao was concerned this droid had just kindly saved his life so he could call Tao whatever he liked. "Found anything to your liking?" he asked.

"Could I have another?" Tao asked, having downed the whole glass in a matter of seconds, his body begging for more. One didn't need to be force sensitive to realise that.

"Of course, sugar," M1-XR said.

Now that he wasn't about to die from a deadly spice attack, Tao noticed that the top of the bar was unusually advanced for a backwater planet like Tatooine. There was a holo screen and on it was a...person? A young, smiling Twi'lek female giving the camera a 'come hither' gesture. There were buttons to scroll through...whatever this was. Tao pressed one. The next image was of a human male with extensive piercings and an expression that made him look constipated.

He scrolled through the next series of images. Droids and males and females of several species looked back at him, all with varying degrees of welcoming expressions.

Wait...was this a...?

"Another tall glass for the tall stranger," M1-XR said, placing the refilled glass in front of Tao. "Scrolling through our selection, I see. Can I interest you in today's specials?"

Tao looked into the droid's face, suddenly feeling very out of place.

"Um..."

"I can take it from here, Mixer," a calm, soothing voice said as someone sat on the stool next to Tao's. He looked up to find a Twi'lek looking back at him with a mischievous grin, a golden ring dangling from his ear lobe, his skin a pale greenish hue that matched his eyes. "Well, haven't seen you around here before. Just stepped off the ship, huh?"

Tao stared back at him, mouth open.

"Um..."

"My name's Zennani," the Twi'lek said, extending a hand for Tao to shake. "But my friends call me Nani. What's yours, handsome?"

"T-Tao," he replied, shaking Nani's hand nervously, noticing that Nani was wearing very little in terms of clothing, showing off a physique Tao was pretty sure he'd never had, not even during the most intense training under either of his masters.

Masters...

He fought down the intense emotions that welled up within him at the thought of them both. Too much to handle right now, especially in his exhausted state.

Luckily, Nani didn't seem to notice his internal struggle, simply leaning on the bar and looking him up and down with a growing smile on his lips that spoke volumes of what he was after.

"Tao...Tao..." he said, as if tasting the letters. "I like it. It's cute, just like you."

At twenty-five, Tao knew what flirting was. He'd never been on the receiving end, though; his nomadic wandering from planet to planet and station to station never left him with much time to meet and, if he so desired, _bond_ with other people. He mostly kept his head down and did odd jobs until he could afford to move on to his next temporary home.

Not that he'd know how to flirt even if he did have time for it.

His masters had had nothing good to say on personal relationships, much less that elusive thing called love, and while Tao definitely disagreed with them on the topic, a small part of him always told him no when situations arose. It was too dangerous.

This time was no different. Unfortunately, he had no handy excuse with which to disengage from the conversation.

Well, he had _one_ tool...but there was a reason he kept wandering and trying not to make too much noise wherever he went. There was no telling who he'd alert if he used it. So instead he was forced to awkwardly grin back at Nani and do his best to turn him down.

"Thank you," he said. "I...er...you're not bad-looking yourself."

Wait, that wasn't a rejection! What was he saying?!

Nani grinned wider. "Well, perhaps I can give you a _closer_ look upstairs?"

Right, well, there was no mistaking that. Or what sort of place Tao had wandered into.

In hindsight, he should have realised it based on a few factors. The burly bouncer, for one thing. The catalogue, for another. M1-XR—er, Mixer's attitude change, for a third. The decor of the cantina itself, with its rug-covered floors and multitude of alcoves separated from the main room by colourful cloth for a fourth.

And finally, Nani himself, along with the other scantily clad workers entertaining the guests.

How bloody thirsty had he been to miss all this? Oh, his masters would be so disappointed in him right now.

Oh, blast it!

"I'm sorry," he said hurriedly before Nani could go any further. "I'm not...er...I'm not here to...to..." he felt his face heat up in a blush.

Nani looked confused, and then a little disappointed. "Oh, I see. Well, we don't have to do _that_. We can just sit here and talk, if you like?"

Tao honestly considered accepting, if only save his dignity—or what remained of it, at any rate—but he was pretty sure he didn't have enough credits left to pay Nani for his time.

"S-Sorry, maybe another time?"

...well, his masters had never praised him for having a quick wit. Aptitude for training, perhaps, and maybe tactical ability, but not talking his way out of awkward situations.

Mouth still burning a little, Tao turned back to Mixer to order some more water.

That, and to avoid Nani's gaze. It felt like his eyes were burning holes in the side of Tao's head. "Excuse me, Mixer? Can I have ano—"

"Another water for Tao, Mixer," Nani said, interrupting him with a lazy wave in the droid's direction. "And put it on my tab. Also, I'm going on break until my next appointment."

"Got it," Mixer said happily, placing another glass in front of Tao.

He gave Nani a suspicious look.

"Nothing untoward in my mind," Nani said quickly, shaking his head, causing his delicately bound _lekku_ to sway back and forth in an almost hypnotic manner. "I actually do want to talk to you. We see a lot of people coming and going here, but you're the first one to just come in for a drink and nothing else. Plus, you don't look like the regular sort of traveller to Mos Eisley." He leaned forward, giving Tao a big smile. "Humour me?"

Nothing untoward in his mind, huh? If Tao wanted, he could literally check. He decided not to, though. He didn't sense any hostile or nefarious intentions from the Twi'lek, and...well, it would be nice to talk to someone who wasn't just after his credits or waiting to rat him out to the Empire.

Sighing, Tao nodded, and gratefully took the glass of water to down it.

"I'd go easy on that," Nani said with a careful tone. "There's a two hundred percent mark-up on water right now."

Tao nearly spat it out. "Two hundred?!" he gasped.

"What did you expect?" Nani asked. "It's summer—moisture farmers always raise their prices around this time of year."

He hadn't expected to hear the term 'moisture farmer', but Tao was by no means an expert on Tatooine economics or its seasons. He nodded and gently sipped at the glass instead, all the while wondering just how much this little cantina visit was going to cost him in the end. Being smuggled by Captain Adar had left his chit almost completely depleted, and he'd need to pick up an odd job or two soon in order to refill it.

"So," Nani said, "what's your story?"

Tao had been asked that question quite a few times over the past five years. He'd prepared a pretty good cover story by now. Officially, he was a drifter. His parents had once owned a lucrative shipping company that operated in the Core region, but they had suffered an economic downturn as of late and Tao, young and brash, had vowed to set out to make his fortune. Of course, thus far, said fortune was still a ways off.

Nani listened with rapt attention, though, nodding eagerly as Tao spoke.

"Well, even if you haven't struck it big yet," he said, "it must be interesting, travelling all over the galaxy. Not sure why you decided to come to _Tatooine_ , of all places, though. The only people making money around here are the moisture farmers, smugglers, podracers, and the Hutts." He looked Tao up and down again, grinning flirtatiously. "And you definitely don't look like a Hutt to me. So...you looking to set yourself up as a farmer?"

"I didn't really have a plan, coming here," Tao admitted. "I don't know the first thing about farming moisture. Or any other farming, for that matter."

Tatooine had been the farthest he could go from his previous stopping point of Aeternitas Station. A grand name for a tiny little platform orbiting a small asteroid mining operation, set up mostly to entertain the miners. The place was ripe with smugglers grabbing bits and pieces of the various ores and selling it to the highest bidders, and it was in one of the taverns there Tao had run into Captain Adar.

Nani laughed. "Well, maybe I can help you make a plan?" he suggested. "Who better to ask than a local?"

"That'd be awfully kind and helpful of you," Tao said, raising an eyebrow at the Twi'lek. "Do you make that offer to every thirsty stray traveller who wanders in here?"

"Just the cute ones I like," Nani said as he leaned forward, looking up at Tao's face, gaze immediately landing on Tao's most distinguishing feature. "How'd you get that scar? It looks rough."

Stray debris from a frag grenade I failed to notice, Tao thought, remembering the burn of the superheated metal cutting a vertical line from an inch above his right eyebrow to just below nose level. Sheer luck had prevented his eye from getting damaged.

But saying that might set off red flags for whoever might be listening, so instead he answered:

"Accident when I was a kid, learning the trade. Fuel line on one of our transports ruptured and sent a hose cutting across my face."

Nani winced. "Ouch, that must have hurt."

"It wasn't comfortable, no," Tao said carefully. "But at least I didn't lose my eye."

"That's true," Nani said, smiling. "Plus, it makes you look rather dashing. Like a space pirate, you know?"

Given what real space pirates got up to, Tao was rather happy he wasn't one. The holos were all romanticised and sanitised to make the rakish and rogue pirates look good, hiding all the murdering and enslaving they did to keep their lifestyle.

He'd know—he'd seen it all first-hand.

Still, Nani's compliment made Tao blush again, and he turned away to clear his throat.

He realised too late that motion made his coat shift. It fell open, revealing the odd metal cylinder attached to his belt. Nani's eyes were attracted to it immediately, eyes narrowing with great interest.

"What's that?" he asked, fingers twitching as if he could barely contain himself from reaching out and grabbing it.

"Oh, nothing important," Tao said hurriedly, fixing his coat to hide it again. "Just a memento from my parents. Part of their first ship. They sent it with me for good luck."

"That's sweet," Nani said, not looking entirely convinced. He probably thought it was an odd place to carry a memento, stuck to his belt, instead of in his pack. "They must really love you, huh?"

"Y-Yeah," Tao said.

At least he _assumed_ his parents had loved him, before he'd been taken away for training. He'd never know, now that Shumari was little more than a ball of glass.

Nani was about to say something else, but Mixer was suddenly at the counter, joints clicking mechanically.

"Nani, break time is over," he said with a regretful tone. "Your appointment is waiting in your room."

Nani grimaced.

"Ah, blast," he said. "Thank you, Mixer, I'll be right there." He gave Tao a little smile, standing up from his stool. "Thank you for indulging me, Tao. It was very nice to meet you."

Tao's training and discipline told him to let Nani go without any comment. That any further entanglement with this man could only end in disaster, the old adages echoing in his mind. And yet...he didn't want this to be the last he saw of the handsome Twi'lek.

"Wait," he said, and it almost hurt how visibly Nani perked up at his call. If he squinted, he could swear he saw Nani's _lekku_ twitch with excitement. "I...er...I need somewhere to stay. Do you know of an inn or hotel nearby? Not too expensive?"

"Of course!" Nani said brightly.

"And I may need some help finding my way around and make a plan," Tao said, his mouth moving without his input. "Are you free tomorrow?"

Nani's smile grew even bigger. "You're lucky, my days off are usually packed, but I suppose I can move some things around in my incredibly busy schedule," he said in a faux-haughty tone. "Anything for the handsome space pirate Tao."

A lifetime's worth of training screamed at Tao to stop, desist, cease what he was doing, but...for once it was incredibly easy to simply ignore it.

One of his masters was long dead. The other was...lost. He was on his own. Had been for five long years.

Of all the things he'd learned from his masters, the notion that he needed to find his own path in life was the most important lesson of all.

Perhaps this was it?

Maybe he had finally found it.

If the inn Nani gave him the directions to was as expensive as the two glasses of water, it would have to be for the foreseeable future.


	2. Chapter 2

Compared to the quarters he'd had under his previous master, the room Tao got at the inn was a tiny, cramped box. There was a narrow bed, a small desk and a locker that barely fit his pack, and that was it. Still, compared to Captain Adar's contraband compartment, it was heaven. Being able to lie down and fully stretch out was a luxury Tao would never take for granted again.

The communal fresher even had a sonic shower, albeit a pretty badly maintained one. When he'd turned it on it had simply groaned ominously for a few minutes before finally activating. He'd wondered the whole time if it was going to explode.

Still, being able to go to sleep clean was a blessing.

Or relatively clean. Somehow, he kept finding sand everywhere. Which made sense, the whole planet being a giant ball of the stuff, but he'd prefer not to have it lodged in...places. How it had even gotten there, he'd never know.

Still, he felt a lot better when he woke up the next day and left the cramped halls of the inn, stepping out into the narrow street...and finding the temperature just as bad as the day before.

This is it, he thought. This is where I die. Of dehydration on a backwater globe of sand. Masters, are you proud of me now?

Neither of them answered, of course.

He made his way to the centre of the cramped cluster of alleys, where Nani had told him he'd find somewhere to have breakfast. It was a surprisingly large courtyard, filled with small stalls and seating places. The floor was covered up with colourful carpets and pillows, the sun blocked out by a veritable rainbow of giant cloths hung across from the surrounding buildings, providing a shady spot for the people waking up to another day in a fiery hellhole.

Tao _may_ not have been handling the heat as well as he'd have liked. He'd centred himself through meditation just after waking up, but it had done little to prepare him for the sheer heat, even this early in the morning.

Lowering his hood, he perused the various stalls and what they sold before settling on a simple gruel-like dish that was quite cheap. He found himself somewhere to sit on a pillow, propped up against a sandstone pillar, letting the sound of the increasingly busy marketplace wash over him.

This was one of the few good things about wandering like he did. The sheer _life_ he got to experience and feel around him. He could never be part of it, not really, but he could watch it from afar. Detached from the Force, in a way. Or, not detached. Just...wary of losing the guard he'd built up over the last few years, ever since his escape.

Hah, escape.

Banishment was more like it.

It was the best way to protect himself; to not loudly declare his presence wherever he went.

It was also, however, a problem since it left him with a huge blind spot. Never mind the constant, underlying feeling of claustrophobia that he usually managed to ignore. For the most part.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

Tao startled, opening his eyes and looking up to find Nani looking down at him with amusement. He was dressed far more conservatively today, in loose yet somehow form-fitting dark grey robes that would protect his skin from the twin suns' burning rays, his _lekku_ similarly covered up, though for them he'd used colourful strips of cloth. A cloth bag was slung over his shoulder, containing what seemed to be a metal bottle of some sort.

"Good morning," Tao said, giving Nani a tiny smile in return, a little uncertain if he should stand or offer Nani a seat beside him or—

"Did you find the inn?" Nani asked, grabbing a pillow and placing it next to Tao's, sitting down. "I hope it suited your standards."

"Seeing as I have no standards, it was perfectly fine," Tao said, finishing his breakfast and placing the wooden bowl on the carpeted floor next to him. "I don't need much. As long as I have a bed and access to a fresher, I'm happy."

"Glad to hear it," Nani said, looking across the courtyard. "Old Baz's place isn't fancy, but it's clean and cheap." Someone in the crowd called out to Nani and waved, to which he smiled and waved back. "A regular," he explained to Tao. "Great tipper."

Tao nodded, fighting down the heat rising to his face. The talk wasn't even raunchy, but it still made him feel awkward.

"So," Nani continued, "what should we do today? I can take you around town, show you the important spots and sights...such as they are?"

"That, er, sounds good," Tao said. "One request, though."

"Anything."

"Could we avoid any Imperial checkpoints and such?"

"Oh?" Nani said, giving Tao an amused grin. "In trouble with the Imps, are we? Not keen on being interrogated by our brave troops in white?"

"I don't think anyone is particularly keen on that," Tao said.

"True," Nani conceded. "That's fair, I guess. I try to stay out of their way as much as possible myself. Which is pretty easy, luckily, since there aren't that many of them stationed on Tatooine in the first place, and those who _are_ here tend to stay in the garrison as much as possible. I'm pretty sure the Empire uses this post as a punishment detail."

Tao could definitely see that. Backwater garrisons like this probably didn't see much action, and any officer or soldier posted here would not be seeing a chance for promotion anytime soon.

"So, shall we get going?" Nani said, jumping to his feet. "It's only going to get hotter, and it'll take a while for you to get used to it."

"Sure," Tao said, reaching for his bowl only to find it gone, whisked away by one of the little cleaner droids that roamed the courtyard. "Thank you for this, by the way," he said. "I appreciate you taking the time."

"You're the most interesting thing to happen here in a long time," Nani said, shrugging and flashing him a grin of pointed teeth. "Can't say I'm doing it entirely out of the goodness of my heart."

"Interesting, huh?" Tao asked. "And how is a drifting spacer any more interesting than, say, everyone else who steps off a ship on this planet every day?"

"Hard to say," Nani said as he steered Tao towards the nearest exit. "Maybe I'm just trying to seduce you in order to make you a regular client?"

Tao couldn't suppress the snort. "Given the state of my credit chit, I'm afraid that's not happening."

"Oh, I'm sure we can work out a deal," Nani countered, and laughed loudly as another blush erupted on Tao's face.

* * *

Mos Eisley was a large city, but in terms of sightseeing it did not offer much. There were the markets around the hangar district, where transports regularly brought in new and exciting goods from all over the galaxy (and mountains of contraband), but those were the areas most frequently patrolled by the Empire, so that was a no-go.

Luckily, Nani knew where to find the _other_ market. That is, where the aforementioned contraband was sold. It was located inside yet another labyrinthine set of alleys, hidden behind doors that required a special knock _and_ a password in a language Tao had never heard. Nani rattled it off with no problems, and they were let inside.

They spent most of the morning roaming the streets, looking at wares and goods that were officially banned within the Empire. A lot of reading material, surprisingly, most of which spoke ill of the Emperor and his loyal lapdog, Darth Vader.

Tao couldn't bear to look at the holographic image of the black-clad enforcer, quickly moving on to the next stall, all the while reminding himself that there were a lot of things people didn't know about the inner workings of the Empire.

"I've always liked these," Nani said, showing Tao a stall where cultural artefacts of various sorts were sold. Statues, busts, carved tablets...Tao was honestly surprised to see them. It wasn't the sort of thing he'd expected to find in a black market. "Empire doesn't like us aliens getting uppity, so they've outlawed religious icons that aren't on the approved list." He picked up a small, carved statue of a female Twi'lek that seemed to radiate peace and serenity. "My people's goddess," he explained. "I can't even remember her name."

Tao frowned, carefully taking the statue and examining it. He was by no means an expert, but he could tell a lot of love and effort had gone into the carving.

"I'm not really religious," Nani said. "But her image gives me calm I can't find anywhere else." He fixed Tao with a curious gaze. "How about you?"

Tao shook his head slowly. "No," he lied. "Never been much for it."

It was easier to say no than to try and explain what his life had revolved around for most of his conscious existence. He wasn't even sure if the Order could be called a religion to begin with. That was how the Empire was spinning it, of course, and a dangerous one at that, which had necessitated its destruction.

"You gonna buy that, or just get your greasy fingerprints all over it?" the stall keeper, a surly-looking human woman, asked.

"Not today, I'm afraid," Nani said as he took the statue from Tao and put it back among the others. "Good morning, Juni." He took Tao's arm and pulled him away from the stall, further down the street. "She's always been a grump, for a long as I've come here."

"How long?" Tao asked.

Nani paused, looking thoughtful. "I guess for at least ten years now. That's when I was brought to Tatooine by my old master and sold. My new master sent me here all the time to pick up things he'd ordered from the smugglers. I got pretty familiar with the people here."

Tao managed not to stumble at the implication. "Y-You're a...a...?"

"Was," Nani corrected. "I was freed four years ago." He smiled. "Surprised?"

"I'm sorry," Tao said, unsure of what else he _could_ say. Or what was appropriate. This was why he preferred not to talk much. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," Nani said, waving him off. "All things considered, my masters were kind to me. For the most part. It's not like I miss them, but I'm also grateful I didn't end up as a Hutt's plaything."

"I thought slavery was outlawed on the Outer Rim?" Tao tried, no small amount of outrage and anger welling up within him. Yet another part of the Republic's legacy getting crushed under the wheels of the Empire.

For a safe and secure society indeed...

If only he'd had a chance. He could have...would have...

"Technically, it is," Nani said, still leading Tao by the arm. His grip was firm, yet gentle. "The Hutts don't care, though, and the Empire doesn't seem interested in upholding the ban as long it's only non-humans being traded."

Tao grimaced. "The loss of the Republic was a tragedy."

Nani hummed. "I wouldn't know, I never lived in it."

The atmosphere was heavy now, and Tao wished he'd never opened his big mouth. Nani seemed to realise it, though, quickly bringing him to a different stall selling hilariously fake versions of chronometers that fetched prices in the thousands (or hundreds of thousands) in the Core.

* * *

With the mood brightened, Tao felt himself growing more and more comfortable with Nani. The Twi'lek was cheerful in a way that was infectious, and Tao couldn't help but go along with his every idea. They left the black market a few minutes later, and Nani once again took on the role as guide as he showed Tao the enormous scrap yards, where wreckages of spaceships dug out of the sand were brought to be chopped, recycled and repurposed.

By noon, Tao was feeling peckish and the heat was getting unbearable for him. Nani decided it was time to get out of the sun and rehydrate, offering him a draught from the bottle in his bag, which was filled with water.

"This way," Nani said, leading them down a narrow alley. "I know a shortcut to this place. They serve the best bantha in town—"

Tao saw the movement before Nani did, and he acted on pure instinct as he reached out, grabbed the Twi'lek's arm, pulling him back and behind him just as three shabbily dressed thugs stepped out from an awning. Two humans and a Duros, who easily dwarfed his compatriots and appeared to be the leader of the outfit, red eyes zeroing in on Tao immediately, his hand resting on the grip of a blaster in his belt in an obvious threat.

"Well, what do we have here?" one of the humans asked, a wide, gapped grin on his face. "Out on a date, are we?"

"Looks it," the other human said. He was missing an eye and a great deal of hair on the side of his head. "How sweet."

"We'll let you off easy," the Duros said in heavily accented Basic, his noseless face wrinkling in distaste. "Give us all your money, and we'll let you go."

"Oh yeah?" Nani asked, brandishing his teeth in a snarl, fighting to get past Tao. "How about you shove off before I teach you all some manners?"

"Shut up, whore," the Duros growled. "Or maybe you'd like to show me how sensitive those head tails of yours are?"

"That's enough," Tao growled, stepping forward. His fingers itched to grip his saber, but the situation was tense enough as it was...and as much as he wanted to make this bastard regret his words, the last thing he wanted to do was escalate. Five years ago, he'd have jumped at the chance to release his anger, but time had taught him patience. A little, at least. "I'm afraid we're both broke. We have nothing to give you. Please let us go."

The Duros did not look impressed, his hand gripping his blaster now.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, human," he said. "Now hand over your money and valuables. Or I'm blasting a hole in your boyfriend there, and then you."

Tao looked from the Duros to his human cohorts, and then around the alley. Nowhere to run apart from the way they'd come, and that would present their backs as targets. Again, the saber was an option, but that'd just cause more problems than they'd solve.

Well, nothing much for it, then.

He took another step forward, lowering his voice. "Listen to me," he said quietly.

"I don't have to listen to a word you s—"

"You _don't_ want to start a fight with me," Tao said, waving his hand surreptitiously, out of Nani's view, as he reached out with the Force, touching the Duros' mind with his, suggesting to the thug that a fight was the complete opposite of what he wanted. He then touched the minds of the humans, suggesting the very same.

The Duros's face went slack, and then he said in a slight monotone, "I _don't_ want to start a fight with you."

Behind him, the humans nodded dumbly.

"You want to find the nearest Imperial patrol," Tao continued quietly, "and turn yourself in."

"I want to find the nearest Imperial patrol, and turn myself in," the Duros repeated obediently.

"And you'll forget you ever saw me or the Twi'lek."

"And I'll forget I ever saw you or the Twi'lek."

Tao nodded. "Good. Now, off you go."

As one, the thugs turned around and walked off, disappearing down an alley that led to one of the main streets.

"What...what just happened?" Nani asked, running up to him. "What did you do? How?!"

Tao reined himself in, tightly leashing his Force presence to himself and hoping no one noticed, before looking at Nani.

"I'm very persuasive," he said, letting a smug grin come to his face. He just couldn't resist.

Nani looked confused, but then his eyes widened. "Well then, spacer," he said, "you just became even _more_ interesting."

Somehow, Tao suddenly felt like he was in trouble.


	3. Chapter 3

Settling in was easier in Mos Eisley than any other place Tao had sought refuge before. Usually, the early days and weeks were spent on his own, carefully mapping out his surroundings, finding work, and generally keeping his head down to avoid drawing attention to himself, constantly wondering if the people watching him were curious bystanders or Imperial agents.

Those were the worst days for Tao. The days where he didn't have a routine to fall into and let his body go through the motions while his mind turned inwards to avoid contemplating his situation too thoroughly.

The days where his loneliness could not be fought with the comfort of familiar surroundings.

Nani made sure that feeling never returned. He mostly worked nights and was somehow always there to greet Tao in the morning, guiding him through the city and helping him get familiar with Mos Eisley. It was...nice. Tao knew that he shouldn't let the Twi'lek insert himself so easily into his life, but he couldn't find it in himself to ask Nani to go.

They were...friends.

Yeah, that was it. Friends. Tao hadn't had a friend in years...or ever, if he were truly honest. There'd been the other padawans, but their formative years had been spent running and hiding from the Empire and the dreaded Inquisition, which hadn't left much time for socialising apart from training.

Tao liked having a friend, even he felt as awkward as a newly born bantha finding its feet...to use Tatooinian vernacular. He wasn't entirely sure how to handle this new development, and as a result he left most of the talking to Nani. Luckily, the Twi'lek didn't seem to have a problem with this, using the opportunity to continually ask Tao a million questions in an attempt to suss out his secrets.

Tao usually managed to deflect, though. Usually by asking a few questions of his own. Nani loved to provide answers, especially about his town.

"I think I saw a tourist guide once describe it as a hive of scum and villainy," the Twi'lek said over lunch one day. "And honestly? It's completely accurate."

Tao couldn't help but snort with amusement. It was an ugly sound, but Nani found it delightful apparently if his smile was anything to judge by.

"Ever considered moving?" he asked.

"Not really an opportunity I have," Nani replied, shaking his head. His lekku were left loose today, swaying with every movement of Nani's head. It was...calming to watch. "Don't have much in the area of marketable skills around here, so moving to a smaller town where they don't have a brothel is right out. And where would I move then? Mos Espa? Hah!" He threw his head back, guffawing with no small amount of derision in his tone. "If you think Mos Eisley is bad, I'm curious to what you'd think of Espa. The only thing it's got over Eisley is the racetrack."

"You could take up farming," Tao suggested. "I'm sure there's someone out there in need of an extra pair of hands."

"Oh, Tao, if only you knew how competitive those farmers are, and how desperate some are to work for them," Nani said. "I wouldn't stand a chance against them. I'm just not aggressive enough."

"Hm," Tao hummed, looking down at his empty plate. "Sorry."

"It's all right. I'm happy with where I am right now. The Oasis takes care of its workers, and now that I have you I feel safer already."

Tao's chest tightened a little. Why, he had no idea. "Me?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nani replied with a grin, sharpened teeth gleaming in the sunlight. "You must be, like, a hypnotist or something. How else could you talk down three thugs like that?"

Tao cocked his head to the side. Well, Nani wasn't entirely wrong.

"I wouldn't know about that," he said.

"Still clamped up, huh? Don't worry, my friend, I'll figure you out one of these days."

"We'll see."

Nani finished his lunch and retrieved an old-looking datapad from his bag and pressed a couple of buttons on it, a triumphant expression coming to his face.

"Oh, by the way, I asked an acquaintance of mine at the scrap yard if they needed an extra pair of hands, and she just messaged me and said yes." He paused. "Do you know how to work a plasma torch?"

Tao did, actually. Or, something very similar to one, at least. He nodded. "I do."

"Great!" Nani exclaimed with excitement. "Then you can go to the yard and ask for Neru. She's the foreman. Tell her I sent you, and she'll put you to work!"

And that was how Tao found a routine to settle into. Neru had indeed found him something to do—that is, dismantling old wrecks, sorting scrap, and all kinds of other little tasks necessary around a busy Mos Eisley scrapyard. It was hard work, back breaking, but satisfying in a way, even though he kept his distance to the other workers. He still wasn't comfortable with the heat, but he was slowly getting used to it.

Weeks passed, then a month, then two, and Tao found himself wondering if perhaps Mos Eisley could be his home for a while.

It seemed likely.

Until the night he felt the pulse.

* * *

_The air smells of smoke and blood, his ears ringing from the continual orbital bombardment from above, tearing great furrows into the planet surface. Red, superheated plasma cuts through the air around him, cutting down anyone foolish enough to resist...and even those who don't._

_Dead bodies, everywhere he looks. Some dressed in robes, others in white armour. Blood. So much of it, everywhere. Familiar faces staring blankly into nothing, expressions twisted with agony._

_His master, on the ground, clutching a gaping, smouldering hole in his chest, reaching out to him._

_**Survive...you must survive...please...Tao...** _

_His master dies. He feels his presence disappear, leaving nothing but an empty, broken shell behind._

_Above it, a dark shape turns to him. A deep, raspy and mechanical breath fills him with terror and anger, the emotions mixing and clashing, and all he knows is that the shape must die. Must be destroyed._

_And he will do it._

_His right hand is useless, broken, a mangled lump of flesh and bone ruined beyond recognition. His left hand clutches his lightsaber, igniting its pale blue blade with an inexperienced flick of his left thumb, unfamiliar with the movement._

_He doesn't stand a chance. The shape regards him with cold indifference...but a spark of curiosity is lit._

_**I may have a use for you, boy.** _

_The burning planet dissolves, and now he is in a training room. Metal walls, floors, and ceilings. He is a secret. A tool. A weapon._

_His new master is merciless. Training leaves him exhausted and in pain. His new hand is hard to adjust to, but he's barely allowed the time to learn how to use it._

_His new master wants him to hate. To rage._

_He can't find it in him, no matter what is done to him._

_**You're lacking anger and hatred! Sorely lacking!** _

_**I have no use for weakness.** _

_His new master says so, but he never casts him away. He tells him to get back up, to fight harder. To embrace his hatred, reminding him of everything that was taken from him._

_And still he cannot fully embrace it, the dark. He calls upon it but controls it tightly. He is a tool, and so is the dark._

_His new master says the dark is the only power of worth, the only one power that can lead to change._

_He wonders, then, why his master still keeps a spark of light within him, carefully shielded and hidden, jealously guarded like the hoard of a dragon._

_He still sees it, however._

_Tries to stoke it._

_**You can resist him. I know you can.** _

_**Don't give in!** _

_His master is so sad, and his feeble attempts do not work._

_**You are a failure, and I have no more time to waste on you. You may go and do as you see fit.** _

_**You're sending me away? Why?!** _

_His words have no effect on his master, and he is banished._

_He screams as the transport lifts off._

_**Why did you take me?** _

_**Why did you let me live?** _

_There are no answers. He screams and he screams, until—_

* * *

Tao's breaths came in shallow gasps as he woke up, barely able to stop himself from screaming, his stomach churning and his chest tightening at the unbidden memories his dreams had conjured up. He was drenched in sweat, his room suddenly feeling like a coffin. He wrenched himself out of bed, pulling on a pair of trousers before leaving his room and locking himself inside the communal fresher, relieved to find it unoccupied at this time of night.

He pressed his slick forehead against the glass of the mirror, his breath slowly calming down as he tried to purge the images, sounds, and emotions from the dream, banishing them from his head.

It didn't work.

"Damn it," he muttered, lifting his forehead from the glass and staring at his reflection. Wide, green eyes stared back; the scar vivid against his skin.

It had been a while since he'd had those dreams. Or nightmares. Whatever described them best. Once, he had foolishly believed they would disappear with time...but they always came back when he least expected them.

He eased his grip on the sink—useless, as there was a ration on water these days, and the pipes had been shut off—and stepped back, finally in control of his breathing now. He looked at his right hand, flexing his fingers.

There was practically no line showing where his flesh ended, and the synthetic polymer began. Imperial cybernetics at its best.

Nani had no idea. Nor would he. There was just no way for Tao to explain it in a satisfactory manner.

"Hold it together, huh?" he said quietly to his reflection. "Don't lose it now."

He checked his chronometer. Just before midnight. He'd gone to bed early, hoping to catch a little extra sleep and rest in a way meditation just didn't provide.

No such luck, clearly. Anger had settled in the pit of his stomach like a roaring furnace, and there was no sleeping until he settled it.

He was considering getting dressed and going outside when he felt it.

The pulse.

Where before Tatooine largely felt cloaked in darkness, there was, for a moment, suddenly a bright, shining beacon. It washed over the lands and Tao, almost like a cooling breeze, so bright it'd have hurt his eyes to look directly at it.

It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Tao alone in the darkness once more.

He released a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. There was no mistaking it.

He gritted his teeth, annoyed and angered even more now.

What the hell were they thinking? Even if they were angry, they should've known better than to release a burst like that! That pulse had been powerful enough to be felt for miles and miles around! They'd be lucky if Tao was the only one who had.

It wasn't his business, truly. If he were smart, he'd leave them to it, come what may. It'd serve them right, if they were caught.

Unless...they hadn't even known they'd done it.

"Blast!" he shouted at the mirror before leaving the fresher and going back into his room, retrieving his datapad and loading up the very basic mapping application. He tried to remember what direction it had been the strongest, trying to figure out where the person responsible could be.

The only town near enough that matched the approximate position would be...

* * *

"What's in Anchorhead?" Tao asked, storming inside Nani's room at The Oasis.

A client was in the middle of getting undressed, glaring at him with outrage. "Hey, I paid for privacy, and—"

"It was the best you ever had," Tao practically snarled, waving his hand. "And now you're going home!"

The client's face went slack, and he stopped undressing, shuffling awkwardly out the door, which Tao slammed shut behind him, glad he hadn't accidentally turned his brain to mush. He then turned to Nani's bed.

The Twi'lek did not look amused, lying back on a mound of pillows, dressed for work. Which meant wearing very little.

"Tao, what are you doing?!" he asked. "You can't just storm in here and—"

"What's in Anchorhead?" Tao repeated. "Tell me!"

Still glaring, Nani rearranged himself on the bed, his back against the headboard.

"Nothing," he said. "There's nothing in Anchorhead. It's a trading post for moisture farmers, and barely that. Why are you so interested?" His eyes looked Tao up and down, probably noting his dishevelled appearance. It was like his gaze looked straight through him, finding every weakness.

An outpost. So not another city, then, where someone could disappear if they wished. Tao sighed, sagging against the wall, disappointed. He couldn't just let this go, then.

"You look like you've been dragged through the desert by an eopie, Tao. What's wrong?"

Nani looked worried now, the anger from before quickly dissipating in the face of Tao's behaviour.

"It's...nothing important," Tao tried, but Nani clearly didn't buy it. He wouldn't have, either. "I need to go there."

Nani blinked. "Why? I just told you there's nothing there. If you thought Mos Eisley was lacking in sightseeing spots, I don't think you'll be much happier with Anchorhead."

Tao pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache already forming. He'd never been much of a healer, so all he could do was bear with it as he tried to think of an excuse. He couldn't outright tell Nani that he suspected there was a powerful but unwitting Force-sensitive out there who'd just announced their presence to half the planet, and that Tao had to get to them before someone _else_ did.

There was no telling what a group like the Inquisition would do to them, if Tao didn't interfere.

"Someone needs my help," was all he could come up with.

Nani stared at him. "I thought you were new to Tatooine, that you didn't know anyone here."

"I am, and I don't," Tao said. "Apart from you."

"Then how do you know someone needs your help?"

Tao shrugged. "I just do."

Nani narrowed his eyes at him, crawling the edge of his bed.

"Does this have something to do with the whole...you know..." He waved his hand the way Tao did when he employed the mind trick. "That?"

Tao was so tired, he wasn't even aware he'd nodded until Nani clapped his hands, grinning.

"I knew it! So, what _is_ this thing anyway? Some sort of magic? Black arts? Are you a wizard or a warlock?"

Tao could barely get a word in edgewise in the face of Nani's rapid-fired questions. The Twi'lek had clearly spent some time wondering about it and had prepared enquiries. So much for maintaining a low profile, apparently.

Maybe he _should_ have gone for the saber. He could have explained it as a fancy plasma torch.

Wait, Nani was still talking. Tao tried to interject.

"Well, I'm not—"

"How do you know someone needs your help? Can you talk over large distances? Are you talking to them right now?!"

"Nani, it's not—"

"So, you can hypnotise people, what else can you do? Ooh, can you read minds? Move things with your thoughts? Breathe fire?!"

Breathe fire? What was he, a dragon?

"Nani!" he exclaimed, cutting the Twi'lek off. "Please...no more questions."

Nani looked disappointed, pouting exaggeratedly. "Oh, come on. I've been wondering about this since the day after we met! Can't you tell me?"

"I wish I could," he said. "But..."

What could he say that wouldn't sound condescending? He could say Nani wouldn't understand, but the last thing he wanted was to insult his friend by implying he wasn't smart enough to understand the Force. Hell, Tao himself didn't have as strong a grasp on the theory as he'd like.

Plus, there was no telling how Nani would react. As far as the general galaxy knew, the Jedi Order had been a terrorist organisation that attempted to overthrow the Republic and assassinate the Supreme Chancellor in a coup, prompting the reformation into the Galactic Empire. Tao didn't know if that propaganda machine had sunk its claws into Tatooine or other Outer Rim worlds like it had in the Core region, but he'd rather not find out by outing himself.

And then...could he really call himself a Jedi? He had abandoned the tenets and principles long ago in the interest of survival, doing whatever he could to stay alive, including calling upon the dark side.

Anger could still overtake him if he wasn't careful, and if there was one thing the Order's teachings (or what he could remember of them, anyway) had emphasised, it was the absence of strong emotions in one's daily life.

Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate...

And he'd trained under the Order's greatest enemy for years before being cut loose and left to wander the galaxy on his own. He had a strong feeling he wouldn't have been welcomed back with open arms even if there'd been an Order to return to.

"I can't," he finished helplessly, spreading his arms for reasons unknown even to himself. Nani looked so disappointed—the emotion rolled off him in waves, even—that he couldn't stop himself from adding, "right now."

Nani perked up a little. "So...you can tell me later?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah," Tao said, nodding as he screamed at himself internally, asking himself what he was doing. "When I get back, I'll...tell you the whole story."

He...wanted to keep Nani.

As his friend.

Just a friend...

"I'm just afraid you won't want to be around me afterwards," he confessed. Because his mouth was just uninterested in follow commands at the moment, clearly.

Nani raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "Are you some sort of murderer or something? Have you been using those...er...powers of yours for evil?"

"No!" Tao exclaimed. "Of course not!"

Nani smiled gently. "Then I don't see why I wouldn't want you around when you tell me." He climbed off his bed and walked up to Tao, almost close enough for their chests to touch. "You're my friend, Tao. And while I can't read minds like you can—"

"I can't read minds!"

"—I can tell you're a good person," he finished, ignoring Tao's outburst. "It's one of _my_ abilities," he added, winking.

Tao's face was burning hot now, hyper aware of how close they were standing. Just half an inch closer, now, and they could...

No. Friends didn't do _that_. At best they hugged.

And speaking of...

Nani was already way ahead of him, wrapping his arms around Tao's shoulders, pulling him close. Tao was a little shorter than Nani, and their bodies slotted quite nicely together. It was...warm. And soft. Hesitantly, Tao wrapped his own arms around Nani, and the Twi'lek chuckled.

"Haven't given a lot of these, huh?" he asked. "You're all stiff."

For a moment, Tao panicked before he realised what Nani had actually meant. It didn't really help, though, his face remaining burning hot and his chest tightening to an almost painful degree, his heart beating faster and faster.

The hug lasted for what felt like an eternity, and not nearly long enough. Nani disengaged, stepping back to regard Tao, gentle smile still on his lips.

"It's okay," he said quietly. "I'm not going anywhere. No matter what."

Something in Tao broke.

It was the way he said it. The tone was firm and without a trace of deception or falsity, nor did Tao feel it through the Force. Before he knew it, his stomach was roiling, his sight blurring as eyes his began to feel wet. Nani gave a little gasp, his hands clutching Tao's shoulders tightly.

"How long have you been alone, Tao?"

The question was quiet—so quiet he assumed it wasn't really meant to be answered. All he could say was a soft, broken, "Too long..."

Nani's arms were around him again as the first sob escaped, and they didn't release him for a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

Zil'kari was not impressed with the sad excuse of a welcoming party that awaited her in the hangar. She stepped off the transport and into the sweltering Tatooine air, wrinkling her nose at the sensation. It was like walking into a damned oven.

For a moment she believed the notice of her imminent arrival had not reached the proper authorities, but the nervous shuffling of the four stormtroopers, their once gleaming white armour dirtied with sand, suggested they knew exactly who she was.

The officer, a man who clearly didn't follow the official exercise regime, looked constipated as he stepped forward, clicking his heels together in an uncoordinated fashion, face gleaming with sweat and dark stains forming on the grey of his uniform.

"Inquisitor," he said, "Welcome to Tatooine. I am Commander Renoe, currently in charge of the Imperial Garrison based here in Mos Eisley."

Zil'kari gritted her teeth. Her instructions were clear. "I am not an inquisitor yet, commander."

The commander's jaw clenched. "Then how should I address you, ma'am?"

"Mistress Zil'kari will do for now," she replied, taking no small amount of pleasure in the impotent rage coming off the man, all because he had to take orders from an alien. So easy to spite, these humans.

"Very well, Mistress," Renoe said. "Please, follow me, and I will take you to our headquarters."

Behind her, the ramp to the Imperial transport, disguised as a civilian vessel, closed as the engines powered down. The ship was nominally at her disposal, but only within her operational parameters, its captain double-checking her every order with Inquisition headquarters.

It was as infuriating as the fact that she couldn't space the bastard without incurring excruciating punishment from her instructors.

She followed the commander and his men outside the hangar into the street, where a wheeled troop transport waited. Climbing inside the armoured vehicle was like jumping into an oven, and she immediately found herself soaked with sweat, her uniform surely growing even darker.

The transport began to move, trundling through the sandy, dusty streets of Mos Eisley. She watched the buildings and people passing by through a narrow, open hatch. The spaceport hadn't looked impressive during approach, and looked even worse up close.

Barely five minutes planet-side and she already couldn't wait to get off it.

"Apologies for the discomfort, ma'am," the commander said, removing his cap and wiping at his receding, greying hairline. "Can't take any chances out here. Never know when a rebel sympathiser decides to go after our patrols or other personnel."

"As I understand it, commander, there has never been a rebel attack on Tatooine," she said, leaning back in her uncomfortable seat and giving the man a disdainful look.

She knew all about this garrison, and the sort of men and women that were assigned to it. She didn't know Renoe's personal history, only what his dossier had to offer, and the fact that the man was still in any sort of command position was a mystery to her.

Must've had friends in high places.

Across the cramped space of the transport, one of the troopers kept staring at her. She didn't mind. In fact, she met their gaze and held it until the trooper looked away, embarrassment rolling off them.

This one could be fun, she thought, noting their number.

FM-798.

"Not outright attacks," Renoe said defensively, eyes roaming her as she adjusted her seat, her lightsaber visible on her belt. If he knew what it was, he didn't give any indication. Just as well. The less he knew, the better. "But there have been cases of messages of support written on walls, and—"

"Oh no, graffiti," Zil'kari said dryly. "What ever will we do?"

Renoe couldn't contain his grimace now. "I'll have you know, ma'am, that as long as the rebels continue to exist, no world will be safe!"

Nor will they if people like _you_ are in command, she thought.

"If you say so, commander," she said dismissively. "The rebels are hardly of any concern to me, however."

Renoe nodded slowly. "Yes, I understand you are here to look for someone, ma'am. The missive didn't reveal much. If you tell me the target, I can have my men begin searching the city immediately—"

"We will discuss this in private, commander," she cut him off. "My mission is of a classified nature and any information is to be disseminated to the lower ranks at _my_ discretion." She looked pointedly at the four troopers in the hold. "Is that understood?"

Oh-ho, the commander truly did not appreciate being told what to do by an alien, much less a Twi'lek. If her headdress wasn't such a pain to redo, she'd loosen her lekku and wave them around for a bit, just to rub it in.

Renoe's face turned even redder, but he eventually nodded. "Understood, Mistress."

She grinned back at him. "It'll be a pleasure to work with you, commander."

By the time I'm off this miserable ball of dust, you'll either have turned in your resignation, or saved the galaxy a spot of trouble and turned your blaster on yourself.

* * *

There was no mistaking which building that housed the Imperial garrison. Two great banners bearing the symbol of the Galactic Empire hung from the balconies, of an estate on the city outskirts, though they were slightly tattered and not nearly up to code colour-wise, faded from long hours exposed to sunlight.

The building itself was protected by two checkpoints manned by troopers with heavy weaponry, ensuring no one could mistake the reason for their presence on the planet.

The troop transport passed between the checkpoints and through the archway on the building's front, trundling to a stop in the courtyard.

On any other world, the courtyard would be a hive of activity as Imperial troops and other staff worked to keep the peace, did their jobs, and trained continuously as per official doctrine.

On Tatooine, however, the sand-filled courtyard barely saw any activity at all. A few token troopers standing guard were all she could see, the rest surely inside to seek shelter from the burning twin suns.

"The temperatures get very high from noon until the early evening," Renoe said unprompted, likely noticing Zil'kari's unimpressed face. "I find it best to keep my men out of the sun as much as possible."

"All the while ensuring that proper patrols are carried out, I presume?" she said, looking over the commander's shoulder to the trooper she'd singled out for torment.

FM-798's armour seemed a little shinier than that of their fellow troopers, and less weathered in general. A recent transfer, perhaps? They shuffled uncomfortably when they realised they were under scrutiny, and Zil'kari could barely contain her delight.

"Of course, ma'am," Renoe said. "It is a hostile environment, but I ensure all duties and functions are carried out according to the academy textbooks."

As if the man had ever been to an academy, much less opened a textbook. He was approaching middle age, very likely someone who'd been shuffled into the position by way of the old Republic auxiliary forces or some such. Been given a quick introduction to the new way of doing things but probably not following them very closely.

Oh, it was almost tempting to call in and request a formal inspection of the garrison. The Empire did not look kindly upon dereliction of duty. Friends in high places couldn't get him out of _that_.

"Please, follow me," Renoe said, heading for a large door at the other end of the courtyard. "We can speak in private in my office."

There was a little more activity in the hallways of the garrison, where industrial coolers had been installed to provide a more comfortable work environment. Still, there were far fewer troopers on guard duty than there was supposed to be.

"How large is the garrison here, commander?" she asked.

"Two hundred troopers, fifty administrative personnel, and a small detachment of five engineers who handle maintenance of the facility," Renoe replied. "That's in Mos Eisley. The garrison in Mos Espa is a little larger on account of the...darker elements operating there."

"Hutts," Zil'kari said.

"Jabba the Hutt, to be exact," Renoe said. "Mos Espa is more or less divided in half between him and Commander Sapori, who has her hands full keeping the peace."

Hmph. The less she had to deal with Hutts, the better. Here's to hoping her mission wouldn't take her to Mos Espa.

The commander's office was located on the fifth floor of the building. It was a spacious room that had been furnished with the best Mos Eisley had to offer.

Which wasn't much.

His desk was unnecessarily large for the paltry number of things he kept on it, his chair a ramshackle piece of scrap with upholstery seemingly glued to it. It looked even worse than standard-issue chairs provided by the quartermasters. Presumable he thought it made him look imposing, but if anything, he was dwarfed by the large piece of metal jutting out above him. She almost laughed.

The troopers were left outside, the door shutting behind Zil'kari and the commander as they stepped inside.

"Now then," Renoe said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. This one was standard-issue and, she couldn't help but notice, lower than his own. A cheap, blatant attempt at asserting dominance over whoever came to speak with him.

She remained standing, walking over to the window instead, looking out across the Mos Eisley cityscape. Above, a triangle-shaped shuttle of some sort flew across the sky.

"As you know," she said, "I am here on behalf of the Inquisition, looking for a dangerous individual." She retrieved her datapad from her uniform's inner pocket, wishing the black fabric was a little thinner...or at least breathed. She put in her code to decrypt the files and transferred them to the commander's own pad.

On Renoe's pad, a grainy image taken from a security camera appeared, showing a young human man walking down a cramped, metallic street. A hood was pulled over his head, but the angle of the camera showed his face as he had turned to look behind him.

Zil'kari looked at the young man's face, having memorised it since she received the mission from her instructors. The scar across his right eye suggested combat experience, but the data they had managed to gather on him thus far did not make him out to be a particularly violent individual.

"This image was taken on Aeternitas Station approximately two standard months ago," she said after letting Renoe get a good look at him. "We do not know his real name, so he has been designated Priority Target 162-12. I refer to him as PT."

"Understood," Renoe said. "And what is he wanted for?"

"That is part of the classified information you do not need to know, commander," she replied. "All you do need to know is that he is wanted enough for the Inquisition to send me to apprehend him."

Renoe's face turned a little red again. So easy to rile up, this man.

"Very well," he said. "And what makes you think he is here on Tatooine?"

"We have been questioning some known smugglers from Aeternitas regarding PT, and one pilot confessed to having transported a young human male matching his description to Tatooine approximately two standard months ago, dropping him off in Mos Eisley, to be exact. The dates line up, and so I came here."

"And who's to say he hasn't moved on since then?" Renoe asked. "Tatooine wouldn't be my first choice to hide on. Barely a stopgap, really."

"From what I have seen of security on this world so far, commander, I believe it is quite a good hiding place, as a matter of fact," she said smoothly. "Though if I find evidence of his having moved off-planet, I will of course follow his trail."

Renoe tensed in his seat but didn't comment on her insult.

"Then I shall do whatever you require of me to investigate, ma'am," he said through clenched teeth, his anger so evident she didn't even need to use the Force to feel it.

"Glad to hear it, commander," she said, plastering a big, fake grin on her face. "Any assistance rendered that leads to the capture of this criminal will certainly be mentioned in my report."

"I'll have his image put out on the streets immediately," Renoe said, keying his datapad. "There will be nowhere for him to hide—"

"For now, commander, I would prefer if you kept his face _out_ of the public eye. If we need the help of the public, I will let you know."

Renoe deflated slightly. "Then what can I do for now?" he asked.

"For now?" Zil'kari said, humming. "For now, you can assign me a trooper to assist me in my investigation. I will need them to dress in civilian clothing so as to not arouse suspicion during our inquiries."

"Consider it done, I'll have my best—"

"FM-798 will do nicely, I think."

She'd need someone to keep her entertained, after all.

Renoe didn't even ask how she knew that particular trooper's designation, simply nodding. "I will inform her of her new assignment, then."

Ooh, Zil'kari thought, this is going to be _fun_.

She was provided private quarters in the garrison building, and she allowed herself the luxury of a day and night to settle in, sending the batman assigned to her to retrieve an appropriate outfit that wouldn't draw attention to who she was.

She spent the night reviewing the information she had gathered on the stray Jedi so far...which wasn't much. Acting on a seemingly random tip from Aeternitas Station, Imperial Intelligence had pinged the Inquisition for assistance in rooting out what they believed to be a rebel spy.

Instead, they had found a Jedi. A weak one, his presence a mere shadow, but a Jedi nonetheless, and seemingly without purpose.

A stray. A drifter.

Keeping his head below waters and spending his days hiding.

Well, he'd slipped up.

Not considered a major threat, really.

No wonder they'd sent her.

* * *

_The door to her quarters slid open, revealing her instructor, his black uniform seemingly absorbing all light around him. His helmet's faceplate kept his expression hidden, his ramrod straight posture revealing nothing._

_For once, though, his malicious presence in the Force is tinged with amusement._

_She jumped off her bench and kneeled._

_"Sir," she greeted, keeping her gaze on the floor._

_"Today is your lucky day, Tails," he said. "I have an assignment for you. Consider it your exam."_

_She looked up, surprised. "So soon?" she asked._

_"Your progress has been...adequate," he said. "The Grand Inquisitor wishes to see you tested. Succeed, and you may consider yourself a Sister of the Imperial Inquisition." He stared at her for a long moment. "Well?"_

_"Of course!" she exclaimed, still kneeling, her chest fit to burst with excitement. This was her chance! "What is my task, sir?" she asked._

_He chuckled. "A manhunt, what else?"_

* * *

She'd been disappointed with her target. A weakling. Probably an apprentice whose training never progressed beyond padawan-level before the purge. Hardly worth sending an Inquisitor for...or one in training, at that.

And yet, if this weakling was her ticket to officially becoming a Sister, she'd gladly track him down and bring him in. It'd show her instructors that she wasn't the waste of time and effort they claimed her to be.

Dawn of the next day came, and found her standing on the garrison's roof, dressed in the threadbare robes of a civilian, watching the twin suns rising. Even the nights were unreasonably warm, but at least there were _some_ interesting sights on this miserable ball of dust.

Behind her, the door to the stairwell opened with a loud hiss, and a series of hesitant footsteps approached her. FM-798's presence was easy to recognise—it was the only one that had a spark of excitement left in it.

"M-Ma'am?" the trooper's voice asked, trembling with nervousness. No fear, though, interestingly enough. "Private FM-798, reporting for duty."

Zil'kari let the girl hang just long enough for her fear to make a little appearance before turning around, regarding her chosen assistant critically.

Human, obviously. Young. Just barely meeting the height and age requirement for the Stormtrooper Corps, Zil'kari estimated. Black hair cropped short as per regulation. Her skin was a dark bronze colour, her eyes a bright emerald green. Looking closely, Zil'kari could see a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

Cute, she supposed, if one cared for humans that way. Definitely not the typical trooper as depicted on the recruitment posters, which suited Zil'kari's intentions for FM-798 perfectly.

The trooper stood at attention, which clashed with her civilian clothing, which consisted of the same sort of dirty, ugly robes Zil'kari was wearing.

She remained quiet for a little while longer, supremely enjoying the increased feeling of nervousness coming off the trooper as her stance began to waver slightly in the face of such scrutiny.

"Name." Zil'kari asked.

"Wh-What?"

"I want to know your name, trooper," Zil'kari drawled. "Not your serial number."

FM-798 blushed, clearing her throat. "Apologies, ma'am. My name is Hana Caslay."

"Hana," Zil'kari said slowly. "That is good. From now, I will refer to you only by that name. Is that understood?"

She blushed harder, for reasons unknown to Zil'kari. "Understood, ma'am...but may I ask why?"

"To maintain your cover," Zil'kari replied, wondering how long Hana had actually been a trooper. Her age suggested not for very long...which made her curious as to how Hana had managed to get herself assigned to this career-swallowing abyss of an outpost. "For the time being, you are not a trooper. You are a civilian, and nothing more."

She nodded, still standing at attention.

Zil'kari sighed. "Why are you standing like a trooper?"

Hana hesitated. "I...wasn't sure when I was supposed to start acting like a civvie, ma'am," she replied.

Zil'kari fought the urge to roll her eyes. Maybe picking Hana had been a mistake. Ah, but changing her mind now wouldn't look good, especially in the face of that fool Commander Renoe.

"Immediately, Hana," she said dryly. "Immediately."

Hana fell into a slightly slouching stance, looking quite uneasy. The drills from basic training was still fresh in memory, then.

"Better," Zil'kari said, striding past Hana and heading for the stairwell. "Follow me."

As Hana jogged to catch up with her, Zil'kari felt a shift in her demeanour, going from nervous to excited.

Curious.

But then, Zil'kari's arrival was probably the most exciting thing to happen to Hana since she was stationed on Tatooine, much less being personally chosen for an assignment under a prospective Inquisitor. Maybe she even saw it as a way to further her career—get an assignment on a world with more action, perhaps. Or a fast track to becoming an officer.

Zil'kari could make that happen, if this mission was a success.

Yes, that was probably it.


	5. Chapter 5

"...in short, we are looking for an enemy of the Empire, and his tracks lead to Mos Eisley," Zil'kari finished. "As an official search by troops is too high-profile, the Inquisition elected to send me to root him out."

Hana listened carefully, eyes wide. "What has he done?"

"That is classified information," Zil'kari said. "All you need to know is that he is dangerous and must be brought in."

They were walking along the dusty road leading from the garrison and into the city proper, having left the garrison through the back way, as two civilians emerging from the garrison's main entrance would look suspicious.

Hana was in the lead. She knew the layout of the city better than Zil'kari, and that made her the best qualified guide.

"Understood, ma'am," Hana said, nodding excitedly. "Where do we start?"

"Since you're so familiar with the city," Zil'kari said, "why don't you take me to the seedy underbelly, such as it is? Where else would an enemy of the Empire hide?"

"Darktown it is," Hana said. "Follow me." A few steps after, however, she paused. "Um...ma'am?"

Zil'kari sighed. "Yes, Hana?"

"If we are undercover and are supposed to be friends...isn't it strange for me to call you _ma'am_? People will find that suspicious."

Zil'kari hesitated. She hadn't thought of that, enjoying the feeling of someone being subservient to her for once. She was right, though. Best friends generally didn't refer to each other by honorifics.

"Good point, Hana," she said, not failing to notice the delighted smile that came to the trooper's face. Easy to please, it seemed. "I am already referring to you by your first name—"

"Which is fine," Hana said. "No one outside the garrison knows our names anyway."

Zil'kari glared, annoyed at being interrupted. "Good, then we shall simply have to find a nickname for myself. Hm, my name is Zil'kari...perhaps—"

"Zilly!" Hana said, beaming.

"No! Absolutely not!" Zil'kari snarled, the name drilling straight down to a nerve that hadn't been poked in years, yet it caused the exact same reaction as it had then. Hana shrank back, looking fearful.

Right, wouldn't do to scare her supposed best friend.

"That...is not accepted, Hana," she said, clearing her throat, bringing her rising anger under control, to be unleashed later. No sense in wasting good rage. "A little too diminutive for my taste." It seemed to have the desired effect on the trooper, who no longer felt like her life was in danger. "In the interest of balance, how about...Zil?"

Hana brightened up, nodding. "That's great, ma'am—I mean, Zil."

"Good, glad we cleared that up," Zil'kari—now just Zil—said as they continued on their way.

As they walked along the streets, Zil carefully unfolded her senses, seeking out any trace of Force energy more concentrated than what one usually found around those too mundane to feel it. Zil had always been more sensitive to it than her fellow aspirants and prospective Inquisitors. The instructors had trained her sensor abilities extensively after learning this, and she supposed this was the ultimate test of those as well.

If the Jedi was nearby, she'd find him. No matter what.

* * *

Darktown lived up to its name, as far as Zil was concerned. Wherever she turned there was contraband to be bought, cantinas dealing in substances both legal and illegal, and markets of flesh. The entire area felt rotten to her, and if it were up to her, she'd have burned the whole place to the ground on sheer principle.

And the people there were not particularly helpful. Whoever she asked, no matter what, would refuse to answer her questions about the Jedi. Most even refused to look at the datapad containing his image. By the time the tenth suspicious-looking cantina-goer had simply walked away without answering her questions, she was furious and very close to simply grabbing the next person and ripping the information out of their brain by force.

Or cutting them in half with her lightsaber.

Either or, at this point.

"Zil, I—"Hana began, having watched the proceedings silently.

"Quiet," Zil said, striding up to the barkeeper of this particular cantina, glaring at him all the while. "You there!"

The Toydarian didn't look impressed with her, his insectile wings beating to keep him floating just above the counter. "Eh?" he said, his giant nose wrinkling. "Whaddya want?"

"I'm looking for someone," Zil said. "A human male, about one seventy-five centimetres tall, with—"

"Never saw 'em," the barkeep said, shaking his head. "You wanna drink? No? Then get out."

"This is an emergency," Zil bit out through gritted, sharpened teeth. "He might be in danger, and—"

"Never saw 'em," the flying menace repeated. "Still no drink? Get out, or Makeni _throws_ ya out." He waved to the bouncer, a rough-looking Klatooinian lounging near the door, who perked up. "Well?"

Well, she'd _tried_ it the nice way, Zil reasoned and reached out with the Force to touch the Toydarian's mind.

"You want to answer every question I have," she said firmly, waving her hand. Behind her, Hana shifted curiously.

To her surprise, though, the Toydarian's eyes didn't go slightly vacant as those affected by the mind trick usually did. Instead he regarded her with the same unimpressed expression as before, tilting his head curiously, before snorting derisively.

"Nah," he said.

Wait, what?

That wasn't how this was supposed to go!

"You _will_ tell me everything I want to know," she said, more firmly and pushing harder against the Toydarian's mind. Still no effect.

"I said, nah," the barkeeper said, shaking his head. "Last chance, lady, or you'll be eatin' dust."

That's it, it was saber time—

Hana's arm hooked around Zil's, and she was pulled away from the bar. The trooper was surprisingly strong given her short frame, but she'd clearly been following the exercise regime of the Corps. It'd be funny, almost, to see which of them was truly the strongest...

"What is it?" she hissed, glaring down at the trooper's face.

"Forgive me, ma'am," Hana whispered, careful not make sure no one could hear her. "But maybe I should give it a try?"

"What could you possibly do to convince that damned insect to cooperate?"

"I've dealt with Toydarians before," Hana said. "They're stubborn to a fault, but if you ask them in a certain way you can usually get them to work with you."

Zil held her gaze for a few seconds. Hana didn't seem to be mocking her...which was why she nodded slowly.

"Fine, you give it a shot, then."

Hana nodded, putting on a dazzling smile and practically _skipping_ over to the bar, leaning her elbows on it and looking at the barkeeper with wide eyes.

"Excuse me, sir?" she asked in a sweet voice. "I'm sorry about my friend back there. She's worried, you see, and that makes her a bit...terse."

"Don't care," the barkeep said, sounding gruff as ever, but his eyes were definitely less sharp now, looking at Hana. "Either buy something or get out."

"Two ruby bliels, please," Hana said immediately, flashing a credit chit at the Toydarian before waving Zil over.

"We are not here to drink," Zil hissed as the Toydarian turned away to prepare the order. "And you're _paying_ him?!"

"Toydarians are mostly motivated by money," Hana whispered. "They generally don't care to do anything unless they stand to gain something by it."

"Hmph," Zil harrumphed, looking unimpressed. "If it were a matter of bribery—"

"The price would be too high," Hana interrupted, eyes widening when she realised she had. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Shh," Zil hushed her as the Toydarian returned, placing two steel cups on the counter in front of them.

"Two ruby bliels," he growled.

"Thank you," Hana said brightly, taking a sip. "Delicious!"

A hint of a smile appeared on the Toydarian's face. "Damn right it is," he said.

"So good I could probably convince my friends to come here every night," Hana continued. "Especially Ronnie. Do you know him? He's a Darklighter."

The Toydarian, about to turn away, paused, slowly turning back to her. "Darklighter, eh?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," Hana said. "A cousin. Just as rich, though. If only we could find him..."

The barkeeper's eyes flicked from Hana to Zil, then back to Hana. "He the one you lookin' for?"

"Yeah," Hana replied, smiling. "He's about this tall, has blonde hair and a scar across his right eye. Usually comes to Darktown every other week or so. Seen him around?"

"Might've," he said. "What's the information worth to ya?"

Zil fought the temptation to explain the worth of not being cut into three pieces by a blade of pure plasma energy, leaving the trooper to handle the questioning. She'd clearly dealt with the dregs of society before.

"Continued patronage by the Darklighters," Hana said, leaning forward. "I guarantee it. Huff Darklighter takes care of those who help his family."

Who the hell the Darklighters were, Zil had no idea, but the name clearly mattered around here.

The Toydarian seemed to consider the idea before nodding slowly.

"Seen him around," he said, leaning closer and lowering his voice. "Never came in here, but rumours spread. Heard he's stayin' over at Baz's place. Might wanna check in there."

Hana smiled. "Thank you very much—we'll do that. The Darklighters will be in your debt if we manage to find him."

"Better be," the barkeeper said, grinning and turning away to serve another customer.

Zil made to leave, but Hana put her hand on her arm again.

"We're being watched," she whispered. "Finish your drink, Zil, then we'll go."

Zil glared at the drink with the stupid name.

"You've done this before," she said. She picked up her cup and took a sip. It was sweet. Too sweet. It was like it clung to the inside of her throat on the way down.

"I'm from Lothal," Hana replied. "I know my way around seedy underbellies."

Zil had only theoretical knowledge about that planet. A failing economy that had begged for Imperial intervention, now turned to the purpose of its war machine. Still a hotbed for criminal activity like Tatooine, but comparing Mos Eisley to its Capital City, however...

"Tatooine seems a bit of a trade down, does it not?"

"I go where the Empire tells me to go. This was apparently where it thought I belonged."

There was a slight bitterness to her words and being. Zil couldn't blame her there.

Zil hummed. "I see...you've done well for now. Keep this up, and my report about your conduct will be glowing. Might be your ticket off this dust ball."

"I'd appreciate that, m—er, Zil," Hana said, the blush returning to her cheeks as she suddenly found great interest in her drink. "Um...may I ask you a question?"

"If you must."

"Where are you from?"

Zil paused, cup halfway to her lips. "I don't know," she replied.

And that was actually the truth. For as long as she could remember she'd been in the care of one group or another. First the weak Jedi, then the Inquisitorius. She had no idea where she'd come from before the Jedi got their claws in her. All she could remember was fear and pain, which had never let go.

Had there been a family? She couldn't remember their faces, if so. There had been...someone. Someone she'd wanted to save once her gifts were discovered, but those hopes had been crushed.

"Oh," Hana said, lips turning downward in a show of sympathy that almost felt mocking in its sincerity. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Finish your drink, Hana," Zil said quietly. "We still have work to do."

* * *

Tao wasn't sure what he'd expected to discover in Anchorhead, or even what the town would look like, but found the real thing underwhelming either way. His general mood upon stepping off the transport didn't help either.

He'd spent the last five hours on a large, undoubtedly illegally modified eight-seater landspeeder with severe malfunctions in both its propulsion and hover units, and a driver who seemed anything but sober enough to be in control of it judging by the way he kept swerving along the sand. The seats had likely been installed sometime around the start of the Clone Wars, possibly earlier, and showed signs of innumerable behinds having sat in them.

The transport had left Mos Eisley at four in the morning, a few days after the night he'd felt the pulse. The transport left that early so as to avoid the worst of the heat as they drove through the dunes, as well as what someone at the station had called "sand people".

After a moment's confused glance at his fellow passenger (a middle-aged moisture farmer who'd come to Mos Eisley for business) he'd learned the sand people were what the locals called Tusken raiders, an indigenous species to Tatooine who did not take kindly to foreign invaders, unlike the Jawas who'd embraced trade with off-worlders.

He'd tried to sleep during the drive, but the aforementioned problems with the vehicle prevented that, along with the intense heat even from the morning sunrise. Meditating had not helped either, as he kept getting interrupted by his only fellow passenger, who'd assumed Tao needed to be entertained with conversation, stories about his nephew in particular.

He kept complaining about the boy's antics in a gruff tone, but Tao could _feel_ the pride the man felt about him. Still, not very exciting and more than a little annoying, but putting the man to sleep with a little suggestion through the Force would've been too petty, even for Tao, so he'd let him ramble on for the duration of the trip.

So, it was a tired and more than a little cranky Tao who stepped off the transport at about nine in the morning and was greeted with Anchorhead...which was little more than an ageing cluster of buildings within a crumbling defensive wall, surrounded by great swathes of nothing but sand stretching on for miles.

The only thing that broke the monotony was a small hill just outside the wall, upon which what appeared to be an old power plant stood. It was covered in what looked like attempts at graffiti, the lines all shaky and unsure, the letters crooked and choices in colour eye-searing.

"You look a bit lost," the moisture farmer who'd been on the transport with him said, carrying a bag over his broad shoulder. "Looking for something?"

Tao blinked, realising he could probably walk from one side of the town to the other in about two minutes, not counting the many small alleys and nooks created by the haphazard placement of the buildings.

"Is there a hotel?" Tao asked, realising it was a stupid question when the man's eyebrow rose.

"No," the man said in a tone that suggested no one had ever in the living history of this planet asked that question about Anchorhead. "But Beaxio usually keeps a guest room above her shop." He pointed to what looked like a machine shop, its grated gate opened halfway. "Tell her I sent you, and she should give you a good price."

"Oh, thank you," Tao said nodding. "Mister...?"

"Lars," the man said, shaking Tao's hand with bone-crushing strength. "Owen Lars."

"I'm Tao."

"Well, hope you enjoy your stay in Anchorhead," he said, adjusting his bag as he turned to a parked, bronze-coloured speeder that stood nearby. "Whatever you're here for."

He didn't wait for a response, leaving Tao where he stood as he threw the bag into the speeder, turned the vehicle on and sped off into the open desert. How he knew where to go, Tao had no idea. There were probably nav beacons or something to guide travellers out there.

The heat already making him sweat, Tao adjusted his own pack—Nani had made sure that he brought at least two bottles of water—and walked to Beaxio's shop. The gate was still halfway down, but he could feel the presence of someone inside, and hear their footsteps. He knocked on the gate.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he called out.

"Yeah?" a short, grey-haired human woman said as she emerged from within, ducking under the gate with grace that did not fit her apparent age. "You're new," she said, squinting up at him. "New farmhand?"

"Something like that," Tao said. "I'm Tao. Owen Lars said you might have a room I could rent for a while?"

"Beaxio Prywick, but you can call me Bea. Lars sent you, huh?" she asked, still squinting at him. Her gaze was as hard as steel, but Tao did his best to meet it. Whatever test she was administering through it, he apparently passed as her face softened a bit as she nodded. "Yeah, I do. Ten creds a day, if you've got cash. If you want to barter, I'll have to see what you've got."

"I can pay," Tao said, withdrawing his chit and showing her the number displayed. "I highly doubt I have anything of interest to you."

"Disappointing," she said with a huff, ducking under the gate and back into her shop. "Come on, then. I'll show you the room. Be warned, though, it ain't much!"

The room was actually bigger than the one Tao'd had in Mos Eisley. For one, there was more than half a step from the door to the bed. About two and half, in fact. Maybe three, if he took small steps. A damned luxury.

"Dinner's at seven," Bea said, watching him from the door. "You'll eat whatever I'm serving with no complaints."

"Understood," Tao said, dropping his pack onto the bed. "Thank you, Miss Bea."

She snorted. "Hah, _Miss_. I'll have you know, sonny, flattery won't get you nowhere with me."

"Duly noted, Miss Bea," Tao said, grinning at her. He couldn't help it.

"Good," she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "So? Which farm are you helping out at? Not Lars', else he'd have taken you with him—I heard his speeder. So?"

Shit, Tao should've looked up the various moisture farms in the area...or at least learned some names.

Bea sensed his hesitation, and her gaze turned hard again. "You're not some criminal on the run, are you? We may be simple folk out here, but we still obey the law...such as it is."

"I'm not," he said hurriedly. "I'm really not. I'm just...looking for someone. Someone I have reason to believe is out here."

She looked him up and down, pausing particularly on his right eye and the scar over it. "Bounty hunter?" she asked.

"No," he said. "The one I'm looking for is a...kindred spirit, of sorts."

Bea didn't look convinced, but she let it go. "Sounds weird to me, but fine, Mister Tao. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but mark my words, if I find out you're up to something, you'll be out of here faster than you can say _bantha poodoo_. Got it?"

"Understood, Miss Bea. And...just call me Tao."

She snorted again and walked off, heading downstairs. "Curfew's at ten," she called up. "If you're not in by then, you'll have to sleep somewhere else for the night!"

Tao listened for her footsteps to disappear before putting his bag on the bed and withdrawing his datapad, booting up the map again as he walked to the window, which overlooked the narrow alley between Bea's shop and the next building. The map wasn't nearly detailed enough to provide him with a view of the streets, so he had to make one himself. Probably wouldn't take long, given the size of the town.

He yawned. Damned early mornings. Nothing seemed more appealing to him that moment than lying down on the bed and taking a quick nap, but that would waste precious time. He shook his head.

"Right," he muttered, heading for the door. "Time to get to work."

He had a Force-sensitive to find.


	6. Chapter 6

"He checked out yesterday morning," the hostel owner, an old human male named Baz, said, looking grouchy behind his tiny desk.

"Did he say where he was going?" Hana asked, having had to assume the interrogative role once more as Zil's tone had apparently not been appreciated.

"No, and I didn't bother asking," Baz replied. "S'none of my business, and _definitely_ none of yours."

Such insolence. Had she not been undercover, Zil would've had him arrested...and possibly be made an example of in public. Bastard was lucky she couldn't do that without revealing herself as an Imperial agent, blowing her element of surprise.

"Are you sure you didn't ask?" Hana asked, leaning forward and subtly slipping a credit chit onto the tabletop. "Or that you didn't overhear anything?"

The man gave her a sour look.

"I'm sure," he said, pushing the chit back towards her. "Whole point of this business is that I don't ask questions. My guests' privacy is _private_ , above all." He leaned forward, into Hana's space, which forced the trooper to move back. "Now, unless you're plannin' on staying in my accommodations, you can get out."

Zil growled. "Enough of this," she snarled, pushing Hana out of her way and reaching out towards Baz. His eyes widened, his hand going for something under his desk, but before he could find it Zil touched his mind with hers. "Where has he gone? Tell me!"

Baz's body stiffened under her influence as she reached into his mind, trying to find something, anything, that would tell her where her target had gone. There were images, flashes, of the Jedi's face, snippets of conversation that proved he'd been there, but nothing that told her where he'd gone or what his plans were.

Baz was telling the truth. He truly didn't know.

She released her hold on his mind, and he sank back into his chair, limp, breathing heavily as sweat poured down his face. It was a traumatic experience for even an experienced Force user, much less a mundane like Baz, to have one's mind forcibly invaded like that.

Zil didn't care. All she felt was an endless pit of frustration that grew ever deeper.

"Nothing," she muttered, ignoring Hana's inquisitive sound. "You will let me investigate his quarters," she said, not even bothering with the mind trick. Baz waved her on, too exhausted to protest.

"Room...two-oh-five," he said, panting.

"Thank you," Zil said in a nastily sweet tone of voice before heading for the staircase, with Hana on her heels.

"What was that, Zil?" the trooper asked, confused and excited at the same time. "What did you just do?!"

"Classified," Zil said, enjoying the excited annoyance coming from her assistant.

Some secrets were just so good to keep.

Unfortunately, Baz' forced cooperation did not yield any clues. The room was as barren as it had been before the Jedi had arrived, it seemed, and while she could definitely feel his presence, his energy was so weak, so beneath notice, that she would not be able to use it to track him. It'd be lost in the noise just outside the door to the hostel.

"Nothing," Hana said, having scoured the room while Zil had done her best to search for the Jedi's Force signature in the building. "Whatever possessions he had, he took them with him when he left. I'm afraid we're back to square one unless we can find someone who's seen him in the past day or so."

"And that will be as easy as finding a non-corrupt senator on Coruscant," Zil said with a groan, gritting her teeth. "Damn it."

"I'm sorry, Zil," Hana said, frowning. "Maybe we should put out a wanted poster after all?"

"Perhaps," Zil said as they descended the stairs and headed for the door. Baz was nowhere to be seen. Presumably he wasn't too keen on possibly repeating the experience. "Though I'd like to make one more pass through Darktown before we head back."

And before I have to admit that Commander Renoe was right, she thought.

"Of course," the trooper said.

Unfortunately, she could still not detect the Jedi's presence throughout the streets of Darktown, not even now that she knew exactly what he'd feel like. Being weak was apparently an advantage for this one, since he'd more or less fade into the background.

Pathetic.

Zil couldn't wait until she had him in her clutches.

Hana followed her dutifully, casting her curious looks every now and then as her commander stopped to attempt feeling out the Jedi. She had a million questions, likely, but was disciplined enough not to ask.

Well, not until the moment they'd paused in an alley leading out to the streets of Mos Eisley proper, and Zil was about to admit defeat to herself, begrudgingly.

"How did you do that?" Hana asked, staring at Zil with pure curiosity in her green eyes. "You just...reached into his head and grabbed the information you wanted?"

Zil growled. "No," she said. "He didn't _have_ the information I wanted, so I didn't grab anything at all. I just...rooted around in there. All I got was a confirmation that the target had been there, nothing more."

"That's amazing, though!" Hana said, her eyes wide. "Imagine how useful that would be in interrogations!"

"You're not wrong," Zil said. Hana's excitement was amusing, if nothing else, and made the dark cloud of her mood brighten just a little. "Then again, that _is_ what the Inquisition is for."

"Can all Inquisitors do that?"

"Most," she replied, leaving out that one Inquisitor who had such bad control of that particular aspect of the Force that he tended to melt his victims' brains before he could extract anything useful.

"Incredible," Hana said, pausing. "Wait, maybe you can help us with the suspects, then!"

Zil glared at her. "What suspects? I'm not here to engage in local crime investigations, you know."

"But this is a strange case!" Hana said. "Two thugs, clearly not unfamiliar with Darktown, came to the garrison to turn themselves in for a crime. When we asked them what they'd done, they couldn't say!"

"Why not?" Zil asked, trying not to sound too intrigued. What did she care for local thugs?

"They had no idea what they'd done," Hana said. "Nor why they'd come to turn themselves in. One of them described it like...like the part of his memories that _should_ contain that information had been completely wiped."

Zil paused. Could it be...?

A Jedi could make an individual forget something...but it was impossible to _remove_ a memory entirely. Not without liquefying their brains in the process, at least. If the Jedi runt had come into contact with these criminals...

"Are they still in custody?" she asked Hana, who nodded. "I'd like to speak to them myself."

"You think you can figure it out?" Hana asked.

"I _know_ I can," Zil said, grinning.

* * *

There were a lot of nooks and crannies in Anchorhead, but none of them revealed what Tao wanted to find. It had taken him the better part of the first day to completely map out Anchorhead and its many little hiding spots. The only thing he had left to search was the power plant-like building, but suppertime had interrupted him.

One thing he knew for certain, though:

The Force-sensitive had been here.

Tao could feel little traces of them all over the town, completely identical to the sensation he'd felt in the pulse, but they were weak and old—fading—and he could not find any stronger traces.

Which meant they were not an inhabitant of Anchorhead, merely a visitor.

And that presented a problem.

"Moisture farms, for the most part," Bea had said when Tao asked her what was out there over dinner that first night. "Sand people camps, further out, and roaming Jawa tribes. A hermit or two, but they rarely come to town."

"How many farms?"

"Dozens. Some small, some large," she replied, giving him a studying look. "Why do you ask, Mister Tao?"

"I have reason to believe the individual I'm looking for lives or works on one of these farms," he admitted. The last thing he needed was to be tossed out on his arse for lying to his host. "Is there a map?"

"No," she said. "There is little point in having one since there really is nothing of interest out there besides the farms. The farmers have put up nav beacons to ensure no one gets lost out there, but that's about it."

Tao nodded, his spirits dropping. Kriffing hell, that meant he'd likely have to visit each farm one by one until he found the one where the Force-sensitive lived. That could take ages, especially since he didn't have any means of transport.

"You know, Mister Tao," Bea said, "if you could tell me a little about this person, I might have a clue as to where you should be looking."

"Didn't think you would be interested in helping, Miss Bea," he said, giving her a little sly grin. "I could be an assassin, after all."

She snorted. "I'd assume an assassin to be more competent at searching for his target than you are, Mister Tao, and look a little less lost while doing it. No offence."

"None taken, Miss Bea," he said, sighing. "Truth is, I don't know who they are, or what they look like. I just...I _know_ they're out here."

"How delightfully vague," Bea said, finishing her soup. "Well, I guess there's nothing I can do but wish you luck."

"Thank you," Tao said, bowing his head a little over his half-finished soup. "May I ask you one more thing?"

"Will you still ask if I say no?" Bea said, amused.

"Probably."

"Go ahead, then."

"The building just outside the walls—what is it?"

Bea hummed. "That's Tosche Station," she said. "Power station and repair shop—local kids like to use it as a gathering spot, too. Merl complains about them whenever he bothers to visit, but as far as the town and farms are concerned, they like knowing where their kids are. Besides, Laze makes sure they're not being too rowdy or getting themselves into trouble. For the most part."

"Tosche Station," Tao muttered. "Maybe someone there will know."

"If not, at least they'll show you how to pull a landspeeder apart and put it back together again," Bea said. "They're good kids, Mister Tao. Threaten them, and you will find yourself in a very unpleasant predicament indeed."

"I have no intention of hurting anyone, Miss Bea," he said firmly. "You have my word."

"Good," she said with a nod. "Thought I'd give you a warning, just in case."

"It's appreciated."

Tao went to bed that night full and exhausted, and it took little time for him to fall asleep.

* * *

Behind the bars, the Duros went limp with exhaustion and fell to the floor of his cell, panting as Zil withdrew from his mind, feeling excited. His partner in the adjacent cell looked much the same.

Zil grinned.

Her hunch had been right. The Jedi _had_ encountered these thugs, and _had_ used his power to wipe their minds to hide his presence. Pity he hadn't done a better job of it, or tried to obscure himself in the images that remained in their heads.

Or the images of his companion.

Another Twi'lek, his skin a delicate green. He'd been wearing simple but elegant clothes, and had looked very put-together for a resident of a port town on a ball of sand in the middle of nowhere.

Either he was a non-native, or...

"Are they all right?" Hana asked, watching the prisoners nervously.

"They're fine," Zil said, though she didn't really care enough to make sure. They were criminals, anyway, and not petty ones either based on the other things she had seen in their minds. No great loss, should the structural integrities of their brain fail. Justified, even, in that one case. "Come."

They left the jail, passing by the staff that had been temporarily banished on Zil's orders.

Hana fidgeted as she looked at Zil for a moment, and she could _feel_ the trooper's consternation. Eventually, just before they left the garrison basement entirely, Hana turned back and hollered down the cold stone halls, "Get a medic in there, just in case!"

"You care about criminal scum, Hana?" Zil asked as they emerged back into the blasted heat of the twin suns, strong now even as they were setting. A breeze had started to blow in from the east, which offered some measure of comfort in the oppressive heat.

The trooper looked uncomfortable under her gaze. "I don't particularly care for them, ma'am," she said, mindful to address her properly now that they were back at the garrison. "But they're in our custody, and we have a responsibility to look after them. If not to keep them comfortable, then at least alive."

Zil snorted. "If you knew what those two have been up to, Hana, you wouldn't feel that way, believe me. The only thing they deserve is a firing squad."

Hana grimaced. "There's no evidence—"

"I saw everything I needed to," Zil interrupted, looking up at the dark purple skies. It'd be dark soon, and the temperature would drop rapidly. Fatigue was starting to get to her as well, the rigours of the day, as well as the mind probing having drained her energy. "It's late. We're done for today," she told Hana. "Be ready at dawn tomorrow."

She marched off, leaving Hana standing there awkwardly before she ran to catch up to her.

"Ma'am, can I ask you something?" she said.

"I can't promise an answer," Zil said.

"What exactly did you _do_ to them?" The trooper's eyes looked anywhere but into Zil's, her front teeth worrying at her bottom lip. "Some sort of mind reading?"

Zil hummed. "Something like that," she said, deciding not to be too specific about what she'd done. Those who did not understand or had indeed never even heard about the Force tended to react negatively to the true nature of the mind probe. It wasn't as much reading as it was forcefully ripping the images, sounds, and other sensations from the victim's memory. It was highly uncomfortable, sometimes even painful, and could leave lasting scars or outright kill them.

But it was worth it, given the treasure trove on information one could glean from it. And, again, what loss was a pair of murdering thieves like those two, should their minds give out from the stress?

Nothing but a net gain, in Zil's opinion.

"Something like that?" Hana repeated. "Could you elaborate, ma'am?"

Hana's face scrunched up in concentration. It was a little cute, honestly. Zil crushed the feeling.

"No, I could not," she said, turning and heading for the garrison entrance. "Good night, trooper. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Ah! Uh, yes, ma'am!" Hana said, probably saluting behind her.

Zil entered her quarters and disrobed, grimacing at the sticky feeling of every inch of her. It was like this every day. Tatooine's climate wreaked havoc on her.

There was a proper fresher, thankfully, and she practically threw herself inside it, emerging twenty minutes later feeling like a completely new person without all the grime of Tatooine covering her.

Finishing her daily report and sending it, she sat on her bed cross-legged, and fell into a meditative trance.

Things were going well. Very well, in fact. Not only had she found leads on the Jedi runt having been here, she'd found direct evidence. All she needed to do now was to find that Twi'lek, and that would surely need no effort at all. How many green-skinned male Twi'leks could there be on this forsaken dust ball, after all?

She'd find him, make him talk, and she'd lead the Inquisition to the runt. Her trainers would be pleased, and there was no way they wouldn't make her a Sister now.

Unless they decided tracking down a runt wasn't a good enough show of her abilities, relegating her to yet more training and another exam. It wasn't unheard of. The Grand Inquisitor was a demanding master, and a capricious one. He might decide Zil wasn't ready after all.

Or worse, one of the actual Inquisitors they'd send to bring the runt in would take all the glory for themselves. Zil wouldn't put it past them.

Hm.

No, unacceptable.

This was Zil's quarry, and the glory of finding it would be hers. She couldn't take a chance on anyone stealing it from her. Clearly, she'd have to bring the runt in herself.

She grinned. Oh yes. That was how it had to be.

He was just a runt.

What could possibly go wrong?


	7. Chapter 7

Tao allowed himself the luxury of sleeping in a little that morning. He didn't want to appear too suspicious to the citizens of Anchorhead (any more than he already was by dint of being a complete stranger with seemingly no purpose for hanging around the town, that is), and being up at dawn aimlessly wandering the streets was definitely not someone who wasn't suspicious as hell did.

"Well then," Bea said as he stepped into her garage, where she was working on a damaged speeder, its front crumbled and its sides covered in blaster scorch marks. "You finally grace me with your presence, Mister Tao."

"Good morning, Miss Bea," he said, stifling a yawn. He wasn't sure what was most tiring—the so far fruitless search for the Force-sensitive, or the sheer boredom of Anchorhead. "I'm sorry for waking up late."

"What you do is none of my business, Mister Tao," Bea said, putting on a pair of welding goggles. "You missed breakfast, however. You hungry, you gotta make it yourself."

He really wasn't hungry. The low-key anxiety he felt, which grew worse the longer it took him to find the sensitive, had his stomach roiling.

"Just as well," he said, clearing his throat. "Appetite's not really there."

"Hmph, suit yourself," she said, returning to her work.

Tao left her garage, bracing himself as the horribly hot Tatooine morning air washed over him.

Absolutely awful. Wherever Tao went next, it would _not_ be a desert.

Next...

...would he be alone this time?

A treasonous line of thought that he cut off before it could even begin. He'd felt hope before, and it was just as devastating each time it was crushed.

He turned left on the street outside Bea's garage and headed for what served as the Anchorhead city gate, keeping an eye on Tosche Station up on the hill. This was it, really. His last option before he'd be forced to visit each farm out there individually...the logistics of which he'd yet to figure out.

Was it even feasible?

He shook his head. Best not worry about that just yet.

The hill didn't look very formidable from within the city walls, but Tao had underestimated the steepness of it. Halfway up, he was already panting slightly, his calves burning a little from the effort of carrying his body up it.

The sand on either side of the small, compacted road showed tell-tale signs of light speeders and the like, suggesting very few people actually walked to Tosche.

The building itself, up close, looked unremarkable. Concrete and steel, built to last, though not particularly pretty to look at. Hard angles and cracks everywhere. Attempts had been made to liven it up with graffiti, likely by the kids who spent their time there, but there were not many budding artists among them. Still, at least there were colours other than _sand_.

There seemed to be two entrances to the station. One was a small door at the top of a narrow, rickety set of metal stairs on the skinny little tower at the back of the station, and the other was a pair of big, hangar-like doors at the end of the wide, flat section of the station, which were open just wide enough for a man to pass through.

Tao chose the big entrance, stepping through the hangar doors, knocking on one as he did so.

He needn't have bothered. The inside of the station was noisy with the hum of dozens of generators all running, cooling fans on the ceiling working overtime to keep the interior of the building at an acceptable temperature, and the loud clangs of a hammer on metal at the other end of the large room.

Tao raised his voice.

"Hello?!"

No answer, and the hammering continued. Tao stepped further into the hall, where centuries-old power equipment and pylons were surrounded by an assortment of workbenches, machine parts, and speeders and other light vehicles in partial or completely disassembled states. Tools lay scattered everywhere, only some carefully gathered in boxes.

There was even what appeared to be a one of those airspeeders with the distinctive tri-wing design, the designation of which Tao could never remember, sitting in a bay.

Tao paused, looking at it. There was something about it that his mind appeared to take an interest in. He stepped a little closer, studying it.

It appeared to be under construction, a host of spare parts and even a pneumatic cannon lying on the floor nearby, ready to be attached.

And all around it...a feeling. Like an echo in the Force. A very familiar one, at that.

Tao's breath hitched, a relief welling up within him. He hadn't been wrong after all. There definitely _was_ another Force-sensitive on Tatooine, and he'd even been right about _where_.

Or approximately, at least.

But with the relief also came worry, and anxiety.

What would he do once he found them? Such a large concentration of their signature suggested they spend a lot of time here...and from what he understood of Bea's explanation, this place was mostly a hangout spot for the local farm kids.

Tao had no idea how to talk to kids.

He hadn't even known how to _be_ one.

"T-16 Skyhopper," a low voice said behind him, bringing Tao out of his thoughts. Turning around, he saw a young human man, his hair a dark brown. He looked younger than Tao, but not by much. He was wearing overalls, covered in a multitude of oil stains and the like, clutching a mallet in his left hand.

Not quite a threatening display, but one showing he wasn't defenceless either.

"Pardon?" Tao asked.

"The speeder," the young man said, nodding to the partly finished vehicle. "Local kids are building one from the ground-up. You were lookin' at it so intently I thought you'd like to know what model it is."

"Ah," Tao said, nodding slowly. "Thank you..."

"Laze," the young man said, nodding. "I run this place for Merl Tosche."

"Tao," he replied, to which Laze nodded again.

"I know," Laze said. "Anchorhead ain't big, and word gets around. Especially 'bout some stranger who just walks around all day. Something I can help you with?"

There was a low undercurrent of hostility coming from the younger man, and one Tao could understand. He had no delusions of how unusual he was acting, and Laze was probably worried he was going to hurt someone.

Might as well be honest, then.

"I'm looking for someone," he said. "Someone I have reason to believe spends a lot of time here, in the station."

Laze frowned. "Mostly kids around here, sir," he said, gripping the mallet tighter. "Doubt you're interested in any of them."

An unspoken "And you'd better not be" floated in the air between them.

Tao swallowed. "I'm looking for a relative, actually," he blurted out. "A cousin. I've been searching for a long time, and I finally tracked them to Tatooine."

Laze's eyes widened a little, but his suspicious scowl only deepened. "Seriously?" he asked with a _tch_ sound. "That's the best you got? Relative?" He pointed to the hangar doors. "Either buy something, or get out."

"I didn't realise I needed permission to search for family," Tao said.

"I don't know where you're from, but we don't take kindly to slavers around here," Laze said, this time pointing the head of the mallet at Tao. "Get out, and leave town. Or I'll let the farmers know, and they'll come and _make_ you leave. If you're lucky, that is."

Shit, this is what Tao had hoped to avoid. When was he ever going to learn to keep his big mouth shut? There was no helping it, no way to talk Laze down. So he reached out with the Force, touching his mind to Laze's, waving his hand.

"You trust me," Tao said.

"I trust you," Laze said, his eyes slightly vacant.

"You believe that I'm not here to hurt anyone."

"I believe that you're not here to hurt anyone."

"You'll let me stay, and be pleasant," Tao finished.

"I'll let you say, and be pleasant," Laze also finished.

Tao withdrew from Laze's mind, shuddering slightly. He didn't like interfering with someone's mind like that. It was an immensely useful ability, but making use of it always made Tao feel like he was on a slippery slope. Like it got a little easier to use it each time. Sooner or later, he might not think twice before bending the wills of everyone around him to his whims. Tempting, but ultimately not what Tao wanted.

He liked to believe he had _some_ principles, though their numbers got fewer and fewer as time went on.

Laze blinked, looking confused. "Uh...what was I saying?" he asked.

"You were about to tell me more about the Skyhopper," Tao said, plastering on a smile. "Built from the ground up, huh?"

Laze took another moment to come out of the daze entirely, but then he grinned. "Oh yeah," he said, nodding. "Doesn't look like it, but a few months ago this thing was nothing more than a bunch of spare parts lying around. Not sure what prompted it, but the Darklighter kid got it in his head to put it together."

Darklighter, Tao thought. He'd heard that name before, back in Mos Eisley. Big family within the farmer community, apparently.

"Any reason he would?" Tao asked, wondering if the Force-sensitive was indeed a Darklighter. That could complicate things.

"Test of his skills, maybe?" Laze suggested with a shrug. "He's planning on joining the Academy soon. One last project before leaving his friends, I bet."

"Hm," Tao said with a nod. Well, if he was leaving anyway... "So, he's building it alone? Without help?"

"Hah," Laze said with a snort. "Nah. Biggs is good, but he's not _that_ good. He's had help from a few of the others, and me whenever he got stumped."

Biggs Darklighter.

It was nice to have a name to work with, at least.

Now, he just needed to meet the kid, so he could ascertain if he was the one Tao was looking for.

He was about to ask Laze for an address or at least directions to whatever farm he lived on when there was a slight ruckus from the entrance as a trio of human teenagers entered the station. They were dressed in simple garb meant to keep sand and wind out; all stained a light tan from the sandy environment.

"Hey Laze!" the tallest—and oldest-looking one—said, raising a hand. "How's it going?"

"Biggs," Laze said, returning the wave lazily. "Worse, now that you're here."

Tao's eyes widened, and he tried not to let his surprise—or excitement—show. What luck!

"That just hurts," the dark-haired teenager said, clutching his chest. There were the beginnings of a moustache on his upper lip that made Tao's own itch a little.

He needed a shave, badly.

The other two kids with Biggs weren't remarkable in appearance. One was a girl, hair black, looking to be around the same age as Darklighter, the other a brown-haired boy who couldn't be older than fourteen or fifteen at the most. He seemed to be the skittish sort, his eyes finding Tao's and never leaving. After a few more exchanged words between them, Biggs too seemed to notice him.

"You're new," Biggs said casually, his eyes homing in on the scar that ran across Tao's eye. "You a trooper?"

Tao blinked. "Uh..." he said. "No, I'm not."

"Bounty hunter, then," Biggs said, nodding to himself without waiting for confirmation. "Who're you after?"

"Ease off, Darklighter," Laze said. "He's just looking for a relative. Cousin, was it?"

"Yeah," Tao said, nodding. "My cousin. Distant."

"Oh," Biggs said, looking disappointed, but still somewhat excited. "Well, what's their name? Maybe we know 'em!"

"I wish I knew," Tao said, stepping a little closer, reaching out with the Force. So far, he couldn't feel anything around Biggs that suggested he was the person Tao was looking for, but that could be because Biggs kept himself closed off—consciously or subconsciously—and that the big pulse had merely been an accident or a momentary lapse in control. No matter, all it would take was a little push, and Biggs would respond to it...

"Well, that's a challenge," Biggs aside, grinning. "Guess you don't know what they look like either, then?"

"Pretty much," Tao replied.

"Well, I'm Biggs Darklighter," Biggs said, pointing to himself. "This is Antomade Sanbed," the black-haired girl waved, "and Windy Starkiller."

The skittish boy didn't wave, much less meet Tao's gaze with his own.

"Nice to meet you all," Tao said, bowing his head slightly. "I'm Tao."

"No last name?" Antomade asked.

"Afraid not," Tao said.

"Because you don't have one, or because you won't tell us?" Biggs said.

To Tao's disappointment, Biggs did not appear to be the person he was looking for. He had a presence in the force (as all living beings did), but the signature did not match the one Tao had felt on the night of the pulse, nor what he felt around the airspeeder.

The other two weren't matches either.

He really should have stamped down the hope harder.

"The former," Tao said. "We don't really have them, where I'm from."

"Where's that?" Biggs asked.

Tao had to think fast. These were farm kids. They probably didn't have wide knowledge of the galaxy and likely wouldn't recognise any names he threw out, but one could never know if there was an astronomer among them.

Better make one up instead.

"Iffunia," he said. "Further out on the Rim."

"Never heard of it," Biggs said. "But that's cool!"

"Yeah," Antomade said. "What's it like? Sandy, like Tatooine?"

"Cold, snowy," Tao said automatically. "Lifeless, save for a few scattered settlements."

"Explains why you're sweating so much," Biggs said with a grin.

"Sure," Tao said, clearing his throat and regretting this conversational path already. "So," he said, before Biggs or the others could ask any follow-up questions. "You've built this, huh?" he gestured to the Skyhopper.

Biggs smiled. "Yeah!" he said, brushing past Tao to gesture excitedly at the airspeeder, eager to show off his project. "Isn't it great?! Need to give the repulsor another going over so it doesn't just bob in the air on lift-off, but other than that she'll be ready for the maiden voyage soon!"

"It's definitely impressive," Tao said. "I'm no stranger to a spanner myself, but I wouldn't even know where to _start_ with building a ship. Did you do it alone, or was it a project between all three of you?"

"Everyone pitches in a little, but it's mostly me," Biggs said, stroking one of the wings with his hand. "Well, me and Luke."

Another name.

"Another friend?" Tao said.

"Best friend," Biggs replied.

"You never see one without the other, honestly," Antomade added, shaking her head. "Well, until now." She elbowed Windy, who only grimaced. He'd yet to say a single word.

"Oh?" Tao said. "What happened?"

"Fight with his uncle," Antomade said. "Again."

Tao chewed his lip, wondering if he'd be pushing his luck if he asked when the fight had been, to see if it lined up with the pulse. Would make sense—anger could quickly cause an abrupt burst of power, like the one he'd felt that night. If he started asking for specifics, though, the kids would probably react. Laze had been dealt with, but Tao would rather not have to mess with _their_ minds as well.

"His s-sentence is up, th-though," Windy said, his words halting and his voice on the weaker side. Skittish for his age.

"About time," Biggs said. "I need his help with the repulsor."

So, this Luke might be stopping by today. That was good. Tao had no idea what he looked like, but now he had somewhere specific to look. He just needed to keep an eye on the traffic in and out of Tosche station...but how?

As valid a reason as looking for family would be to stick around, this was still very much not a place for a grown man to spend too much time, lest someone think he's a slaver, as Laze had, or worse.

He could pretend to work on his lightsaber...but that would raise needless questions about what the damn thing was. Hm, what else could he work on...

Ah, no avoiding it, then. He was overdue for maintenance anyway, come to think of it. Something wasn't performing right.

"I need to do some minor repairs myself, actually," Tao said, turning to Laze. "Do you mind if I make use of your facilities?"

Laze shrugged. "Be my guest, but if you break something you buy it. Hey, you little shits better leave him alone, okay? He's not here to play with you."

"Thanks, much appreciated," Tao said, leaving the three friends to bicker with Laze before gathering around the partial Skyhopper, finding himself a workbench that was out of sight near the wall, but still had a good view of the main entrance.

He then found a set of electronics tools and sat down at the bench, putting his right hand on the surface. He took a breath and removed the glove that kept it covered most of the time. As advanced as they were, they hadn't been able to give the hand a skin tone that matched Tao's own, so there was a fairly noticeable line where his real arm ended, and his cybernetic wrist and hand began, the synthetic skin covering those being far lighter than the rest of him.

Impressive as the haptic feedback sensors were, they couldn't beat those of proper biological nerves. Tao swore he could sometimes feel the real hand he'd lost under there, but unfortunately (or fortunately), every time he opened it up all he found were circuits, wires, and metal bones.

He turned his right hand up and pressed on a specific point of his wrist with his left fingers. There was a click, and an expertly hidden lid within the synthetic flesh popped open, exposing the inner workings of Tao's wrist. He waggled his fingers experimentally and found the mechanism to respond adequately save for his little finger, which was a little slow and stiff.

He examined it closer and found one of the joints to be filled with tiny little grains of sand and other debris. He was able to blow most of it out, but there were little pieces stuck inside.

He took one of the little tools with the thin, sharp ends, and started to gently poke at the grains, coaxing them out from the delicate machinery. He had no choice but to be extremely gentle—one wrong move, and he was left with a non-functional hand, and he doubted there was anyone on Tatooine with the necessary materials or expertise to fix it.

He kept at it until all the sand was gone, blowing again to make sure there was nothing else inside the compartment, before carefully oiling the joints and another potential points of friction.

"H-How'd you lose it?" Windy asked, his face on the other side of the bench, his gaze firmly on the innards of Tao's wrist.

Tao did his best not to jump. He'd been so focused on his work he hadn't even noticed a _kid_ sneaking up on him? He really was losing it.

The kid still looked nervous, but he seemed endlessly fascinated by the tech on display. Fair enough. Tao supposed this was probably the most advanced mechanics he'd ever seen that wasn't farm equipment.

"Long story," Tao mumbled, because saying he lost it fighting Darth Vader as a child probably wasn't going to do his already failing cover any good.

"W-War?" Windy asked.

"Hm," Tao grunted. Close enough.

"Where?"

My, but the quietest kid was full of questions, wasn't he?

"Shumari," Tao said. Which was the truth, actually.

Windy had never heard of it, if his lack of reaction was anything to go by. Understandable, really; it had hardly been a well-known planet _before_ the rise of the Empire, and now it was just a ball of glass. A silent tomb in the darkness of space.

"Who were you fighting?"

Tao had felt Biggs coming up behind him, and at least he didn't flinch when the kid spoke. Wouldn't do to appear skittish.

"Does it matter?" Tao asked.

"Well—"

"Biggs," Antomade hissed, completing the trio once more. Evidently, Tao was far more interesting than their pet project. "Don't be a jerk."

"Just a local conflict," Tao lied. "Hardly any casualties. Barely a footnote."

Not even that, actually. Tao had checked. The planet had been removed from all public archives. As had several other worlds that had resisted the Empire just a little too hard and been...pacified. Worlds his master had told him about, and the things that had been done there in the interest of peace...or so the official story went if someone were foolish enough to ask.

Some had gone very far in their attempts to protect the remaining Jedi, and had been punished for it in the harshest ways.

"But that's where you lost your hand?" Biggs asked, paying no heed to his friend batting his arm.

"Here's a tip for the academy," Tao said, turning to face Biggs. "You may _think_ you've gotten a dud thermal detonator, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't treat it like a live one." He flexed his cybernetic fingers. "I'm reminded of that mistake every time I look at this thing."

Biggs' eyes widened, and then he snorted. "Seriously?" he asked.

"Seriously," Tao said.

Granted, the soldier he'd seen it happen to had lost more than his hand, but they didn't need to know that.

"And y-your eye?" Windy asked, drawing his finger across his right eye, following the scar on Tao's face.

"Stray blaster," Tao said.

The one bolt that had slipped through his defences, and he'd barely managed to turn his head in time, turning a killing shot into merely a wounding one.

"You a mercenary or something?" Biggs asked.

"I've dabbled."

Biggs snorted again. "Didn't realise that was something you _dabbled_ in."

"It is when you don't really have a talent or appetite for it," Tao said.

"How do you _not_ know that before signing up?"

Tao looked at him again. This kid was going to the Imperial Academy soon. He'd be a trooper, maybe a pilot, possibly even an officer if he was lucky.

"It's not really something you find out until you're in the thick of it," he said. "Until the moment you start seeing bodies."

Antomade looked a little green, Windy had gone pale, but Biggs seemed to take it as a challenge.

"That won't be a problem for me," he said, confidently. "I've fought sand people before. Besides, I'm going to be a pilot."

"Good for you," Tao said. "Good luck with the aptitude tests; I hear they're tough."

Biggs made an offended noise and walked away, fed up with the conversation.

"Sorry about him," Antomade said. "He's nervous."

"Good," Tao said with a nod. "He should be. It's a big step."

Windy was winding up for another question when the sounds of airspeeders approached and came to a stop right outside, another group of young men and women strolling in like they owned the place, shouting greetings to Biggs and Laze, their voices loud and piercing, turning into a cacophony as they bounced off the metal walls and ceiling.

Antomade dragged Windy off to join them, immediately finding another girl in the group to talk to while Windy silently floated to Biggs' side. The older boy didn't seem to mind, gesturing to his Skyhopper.

His maintenance finished, Tao made sure he hadn't left any tools inside his wrist before closing the lid, massaging the synthetic skin until no trace of an opening or gap was visible. He put his glove back on and carefully packed up the borrowed tools, leaving them on a bench and standing up, heading for the entrance.

None of the kids who'd arrived felt like the signature he was searching for, and he'd rather not get caught up in another line of uncomfortable questions. At some point he'd let something slip and then that'd be end of it all.

He felt their eyes on him, though. Funny, he'd been in far worse situations than this, but somehow a room full of teenagers were able to unsettle him more than, say, facing a full squad of Stormtroopers demanding to see his papers.

A mind blast and a push had been enough to solve that incident, though, which didn't feel appropriate in this case. Terrorising the local kids probably wasn't the best way of ingratiating himself in Anchorhead.

Just keep walking, don't look back he thought.

He was nearly through the doors now, back in that sweet, stifling desert air.

Except, there was something in the way.

Or someone.

Another boy, around Windy's age, his ruffled hair a dirty blonde and his eyes sky-blue, a slight scowl on his face as he patted his clothes down, unleashing a small cloud of fine sand with every pat.

"Hmph, gets everywhere," he grumbled under his breath, clutching a backpack that clanged slightly with every movement. He took a step forward, shaking the boot on his other feet, evidently finding _that_ full of sand as well to his distaste, only noticing Tao when they were about to collide. The boy looked up, meeting Tao's gaze with interest.

Tao, on the other hand, felt like he was about to pass out. This was it. It was _him_. The Force-sensitive was this boy, the signature and feel of him as strong and familiar as it had felt the night of the pulse.

But under it all, was another feeling. One Tao hadn't felt in years. One he'd craved and cursed himself for losing.

Master. The boy felt like his Master.

His mouth, open wide, moved, but Tao couldn't get a sound out. His throat had dried up, imitating the dunes outside. The world had narrowed into a tunnel, at the end of which was this kid's face, still looking at him with great interest. His mouth was moving too, but Tao couldn't hear whatever he was saying.

He felt like he was about to throw up. This...how? How was this possible?

"Hey Luke!" Biggs' voice broke through the noise that had encapsulated Tao's ears. "'Bout time you showed up! Come on, we gotta get to work!"

"Coming!" the boy—Luke—said, giving Tao another curious look before running past him towards the Skyhopper.

Tao didn't follow him. Didn't look at him. He went through the doors, nearly stumbling over a non-existent threshold. Breathe in, breathe out. Step, step, step. Keep following the road.

He made it about halfway down the hill before his legs gave out and he had to take a knee, stomach even more upset than before. He didn't throw up, but it was a close call as he felt his throat closing up.

Questions, so many of them, were popping up in Tao's mind faster than he could process them.

The boy...Luke...

Tao stumbled to his feet and headed back into town.

He needed to think.

* * *

Zil sat on the bed of the elegant bedroom. Well, elegant for Tatooine, at any rate. Strongly coloured cloth appeared to be what they mainly used for decoration on this miserable planet, and the room was full of it. A series of meaningless trinkets stood on the available surfaces, the centrepiece being a carved little stone statue of a female Twi'lek wearing robes.

She had no idea who it was supposed to depict, but the look of it was annoying her. Probably a goddess or something. Hah. What was the point of _those_ when true power lay at Zil's fingertips, permeating everything around her, ready to be called upon at a moment's notice?

Before she could critique the room's owner's taste further, the door opened.

"I apologise for the delay," the person said, entering the room and closing it behind him before turning to face her. "My name is Zennani," the green-skinned Twi'lek said as he bowed. "I will be taking care of you today, miss..."

"Zil'kari," she replied, fighting down her grin of recognition. There was no doubt—this was the man she'd seen in the Duros' memories. Granted, he was wearing far more extravagant and titillating clothes now than in the memory. A great deal less fabric, and more gold, which adorned his _lekku_.

Another prettied-up whore, to be used and spat out. Disgusting, to her, but she smiled nevertheless.

Her gut feeling had been right. They'd only had to ask at two establishments before someone had pointed them to a brothel where a green Twi'lek could be found.

"Zil'kari," the whore said, practically purring it out. Pathetic. "What a beautiful name."

"It suits me?" Zil asked, feeling disgusting. She adjusted her position on the side of the bed, looking him up and down. Not a threat. No significant Force presence, nor a bearing that suggested he was ready for a fight.

"Most assuredly," Zennani purred again. "I am yours for the afternoon, miss. What would you like to do first?"

"Come," Zil said, patting the bed next to her. "Sit with me. I'd like to get to know you better before we begin."

He looked a little puzzled, but quickly complied, sitting down and turning towards her, smiling gently, if a little awkwardly.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"It's just a little unusual," he admitted. "Clients usually do not care much for small talk."

"I'm different," Zil said, cocking her head to the side. "But that is not all, is it?" she said. "I can tell something else is bothering you."

He fidgeted a little. "I must admit that I have not been hired by many women," he said, the skin of his cheeks growing a little red. "I just hope I won't disappoint."

"Oh, I'm sure you won't," Zil said sweetly, reaching up to caress his warm cheek. Outside, Hana's presence hovered at the door. "Especially not when you tell me where your friend has gone."

Zennani paused. "Friend?" he asked. It took him a moment to make the connection. Zil saw the recognition in his eyes...as well as the wall of determination that immediately slammed into place.

Damn.

"What friend?" he said.

"Your human friend," Zil said, sliding her hand to grip his neck. Not hard, but firm enough to make her point. "The one with the scar across his eye. Blonde hair, green eyes. Showed up on Tatooine not too long ago. You know who I'm talking about, Zennani."

"I really don't," the whore lied. "Now, unless you intend to indulge in the activities I sell, miss, I suggest you leave." He stood up, pointing at the door. "You can talk to Mixer in order to arrange a refund, I'll vouch for y—"

"Hana!" Zil called out.

The trooper stepped through the door, closing and locking it behind her. She was still in civilian clothes, but she withdrew a standard-issue blaster from her sleeve, pointing it at Zennani.

"Sit down, sir," Hana said. "There's no need for this to get violent."

Zennani raised his hands, glaring at her. "I'd say it's too late for that when you're pointing a blaster at someone," he growled.

"Oh, believe me, _brother_ ," Zil said as she pushed him, forcing him to sit back down. "This can get far worse if you don't cooperate."

"How can I cooperate when I don't know whoever you're looking for?" Zennani said, displaying his teeth in a low growl. "And who are you, anyway?"

"Zil'kari," she said. "Of the Inquisition. This is Hana, my assistant."

Zennani blinked. "Inquisition? What's that?"

"We track down and find enemies of the Empire," Zil said matter-of-factly. "Your friend is a traitor, and a dangerous one at that. He's not worth jeopardising your own life and standing for, Zennani. Just tell me where he is, and you'll be free to go."

"I have no idea what—"

"Your friend," Zil interrupted, "is part of a dangerous, religious extremist group that threaten the Empire and its peaceful citizens every day. Countless lives have been lost in the pursuit of their members. Whatever he's told you, whatever he claims to be, is all a lie. There is no telling how many people are in danger right now, with him just being on Tatooine. Zennani, you have a real opportunity to save lives here."

"You don't even need to do anything, sir," Hana intoned, her blaster pointing at the floor now in a show of good faith. "Just tell us where he is, and we will handle the rest. There might even be a reward in it. A finder's fee, of sorts."

"High enough to, say, buy your way out of this life," Zil said, smiling. "Maybe even off-world, if that is your desire. I can arrange just about anything..."

"I don't know him," Zennani said firmly.

Zil fought down the urge to choke the truth out of him. She needed to prove she could work under the radar, so to speak.

"Whatever he has told you," she said, "whatever promises he's made, I can assure you he will not keep them. They are mere ruses, lies to keep you on his side."

"Unlike yours?" Zennani said, raising an eyebrow.

Oh, if this boy didn't have the information she needed, she'd have cut his head off by now.

"I am giving you my word, as a Sister of the Inquisition, as a loyal servant of the Empire," she said as grandly as she could. "And I _always_ keep it."

"I am honoured and delighted that the Empire would extend such offers to a lowly whore like me," Zennani said, still shaking his head. "But I promise you, ma'am, I do not know this human you speak of."

She held his eyes for a long moment, saw not a single chink in his armour, not a dent in his walls. A strong one, this whore, and a regular interrogator might find him a tough nut to crack.

Zil was no regular interrogator. "Hana," she said. "Stand guard outside."

"Ma'am, I—"the trooper said hesitantly. Probably worried about what state Zennani would be left in. Not unjustified, certainly, but just in the way right now.

"Now!"

She looked ready to argue, but Hana eventually nodded and left, locking the door behind her and taking up position outside.

"Last chance, _brother_ ," Zil said, noting that the other Twi'lek wasn't showing signs of preparing for a fight, sitting placidly on his sad bed. "Tell me what I need to know...or I'll have to _make_ you."

"I have no idea who you're talking about, _sister_ ," he replied, growling.

"Hmph, then this on your head," she said, giving him no time to reach as she lashed out with the Force, digging mercilessly into his mind, rooting in every corner and dusty attic, every cellar, looking for the Jedi.

It didn't take long. He'd tried to bury it deep, but Zennani was powerless to stop her from wrenching the images of the Jedi out of his memories. There, sitting at the bar in the brothel, looking lost. Smiling. Sharing a drink with Zennani. Sharing a meal. Walking through the streets of Tatooine, talking, laughing.

With the images came the emotions. Intrigue, interest, at the bar. Growing fondness in the streets, drinking together. A flash of growing desire one night, when the setting sun caught the Jedi's profile just right, illuminating him in all his bedraggled yet dignified state.

Anger, then fear, then sadness when he'd burst into Zennani's room, scaring away a customer and making them forget with a tell-tale hand movement. Speaking, talking. The Jedi's eyes tearing up, a tight, crushing hug from which neither willingly tore themselves from.

A certain spike to the heart, speaking of the strongest yet weakest emotion of all.

Love.

Pathetic. This whore had allowed himself to fall for the Jedi.

She revisited the memories, allowed herself to listen. One word kept repeating. A name.

Anchorhead.

Anchorhead.

Anchorhead.

Zil withdrew from Zennani's mind, stumbling back to support herself against a cheap dresser that housed more of the whore's knickknacks. Zennani was lying on the bed, still but breathing heavily, eyes rolled into the back of his head. No blood from his eyes, nose, or ears.

That was good. Meant she hadn't done too much damage.

Yet.

A wave of disgust and sadness washed over her at the sight.

"You poor fool," she muttered, regaining control of her own breathing. "You've gone and gotten yourself in too deep." She sighed. "Hana!"

"Ma'am?" the trooper asked as she came in, looking at the unmoving Zennani. "Is he—"

"He's fine," Zil growled. "What's Anchorhead?" she asked.

"Anchorhead?" Hana frowned. "It's nothing. A trading post for moisture farmers out in the Dune Sea. What about it?"

"That's where we'll find our target," Zil said. "I'm sure of it." She straightened herself and headed for the door, finding Hana solidly in her way. "Well?" she said.

"What about him?" Hana asked, nodding at Zennani. "He doesn't look too good."

"What about him indeed?" Zil said. "He gave me what I wanted. He should consider himself I don't arrest him for obstruction of my duties. Or outright execute him, even." She paused. "In fact, why don't you put him out his misery? It'd be a kindness, given the life he leads."

Hana looked stricken. "But...he's a civilian."

"A collaborator," Zil corrected her. She needed to nip this in the bud right now, or Hana would never make it far on the ladder. "Which means he's a traitor. And treason is a crime punishable by...?" she trailed off, motioning for Hana to answer.

"Death," the trooper said, shoulders lowering.

"Exactly," Zil said, nodding. "As your superior officer, I hereby authorise you to summarily execute this traitor to the Empire, trooper."

She didn't need to see Hana's face to know the extreme discomfort and misery she was feeling at that moment. Surely this was not the first time she'd seen this side of the Empire. Surely, she _knew_ the only way to beat down insurrection was to tear it out by the roots? Leave one collaborator alive, and they'd soon find another enemy to work with.

Whatever internal battle was happening inside Hana, one side eventually won, and she walked over to the bed, readying her blaster.

But not before...

"Are you sure about this, Zil?" she asked desperately. "Don't we want him in for further questioning?"

"I know everything I need," Zil said. "He'd be nothing but a drain on our resources."

"Can't we use him, somehow?"

"You're rather keen on keeping an enemy alive, aren't you, trooper?"

Hana shook her head. "I just don't think we should waste potential resources before we're absolutely sure we don't need them!"

And she almost meant it, too. A little more training, and she'd lie like a champion. Zil would see to it.

"You're learning," Zil said in an approving tone. "How would you use him?"

"As bait, maybe," Hana said. "If they're friends, I mean."

"Hm," Zil hummed. She hadn't considered that. There was no telling if Zennani's feelings were one-sided or not, but the two had certainly seemed friendly. "I think you're right, trooper," she said with a slow nod. "We may still have a use for him. Call the garrison. We have a report to make."


	8. Chapter 8

Late in the afternoon, Tao found himself standing just outside the southern edge of Anchorhead, staring at the empty wastes. He'd found himself wandering to this spot after leaving Tosche Station, and time had just...flown by. He wished he could say he'd been thinking, but for the most part everything had just been...numb. Very little in terms of coherent thought.

Well, except for a burning question.

Did Master know he had living relatives this far out on the Rim?

There was no mistaking it. The boy—Luke—had his own unique presence in the Force, but it was also so familiar, so easily recognisable to Tao, that there was no way Luke wasn't related to his old master in some way.

His immediate assumption had been child...but Tao wasn't sure that was feasible. Not given Master's...condition.

Unless...

He froze. The presence was here, approaching him quickly from behind. Tao panicked. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to go. Just endless sandy dunes ahead, and the town behind him. The presence was in his way.

Tao remained still, locking his gaze on the horizon.

"Hey," Luke's voice rang out. "Your name is Tao, right?" The kid was panting, had probably run here from the Station. "I thought you'd left."

Could he get away with ignoring the kid? They tended to be persistent as hell when they wanted attention, so probably not. And...ignoring him wasn't really why Tao had come here, was it? Even if the person he'd been looking for turned out to be more than he expected.

Eugh, he should have picked another planet to flee to. This one was a lot more trouble than it was worth. Well, except for Nani, maybe.

"Yeah," he finally said, turning around to look at the kid. His clothes had more oil stains and a few tears now. Clearly, he'd been working on the Skyhopper with Darklighter and the others. "That's my name."

"I'm Luke," the boy said. "Luke Skywalker."

"Nice to meet you, Luke," Tao said, nodding. "Is there something you need from me?"

Luke grinned. "I think it's more like you need something from me!"

Tao couldn't help but grin back. The kid's smile was infectious. His presence was calming, too. Comforting, in a way.

"And what would that be?"

"Well," Luke said, digging the tip of his boot into the sand in front of him, "Biggs said you're looking for family. Like, a cousin? I'm thinking I might be them."

Tao blinked. Wha...?

"Well, it's just," Luke began, his face turning a little red (and not just from the heat), "I don't really know anything about my family other than my uncle and aunt. I live with them, by the way. Uncle Owen says they have no other family than some cousins that I've met, but there's two sides to every family, right?"

Tao blinked, having a little trouble keeping up.

Wait, Uncle Owen?

Oh no...

"I mean, there are some other Larses, but I'm the only Skywalker around here. I thought there might be others. What's _your_ last name?" Luke asked.

Oh, damn and blast, why had he chosen that cover story? Not only was it complete bullshit but now he was going to crush a kid's dreams for family on top of it all.

"I don't have one," he said. "Last name, I mean." Or maybe he did, and everyone had just forgotten what it was before they could tell him. "And...what makes you think we're related?"

Might as well hear the arguments.

"Uh..." Luke hesitated. "Well, you're blonde, like me. No one else around here is."

"Around here, maybe, but there's plenty of humans in Mos Eisley with light hair," Tao said. "Not really strong evidence."

"You're here, aren't you?" Luke said, scratching his neck nervously. "I mean, Anchorhead's really out of the way. What brought you here, Mister Tao?"

That's it, Tao decided, from now on he would rehearse his damned cover stories because this was just pathetic. Years of wandering on his own, and the moment he finally encounters another Force-sensitive all common sense goes flying out the window. Right, well, time to get creative.

"The family I'm looking for were traders and haulers," he said. "They ran goods all over this part of the Rim, so at this point I'm going everywhere I can find a lead or some small trace. Tatooine was the latest one. I heard some of the farmers out here might be related."

Luke's grin was threatening to split his face open now, practically vibrating where he stood. "My dad is a freighter pilot!" he exclaimed. "Or...was," he corrected. "He died after I was born."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tao said, patting himself on the back for somehow being able to drill down to family trauma without even trying. It was a gift, truly. If he weren't a fugitive Force-sensitive, maybe he could have made a name for himself as a psychologist. "I didn't mean to wake bad memories."

Luke smiled. "It's okay—I never met him. I'd have liked to, but...it is what it is." He nodded to himself. "You know, I'm sure my uncle knows more about this, and he'll probably tell you more than he's told me since _I'm just a kid_." He grimaced as he said the last bit. He'd probably heard that reasoning more than a few times in his life.

"A-Ah, I see..." Tao said, trailing off. This was bad. Not only had his cover story worked a little too well, he was about to convince a kid to dive deep into his family tree to make their stories fit together.

"You know what?" Luke said, suddenly looking very determined, which in Tao's experience meant nothing good. "You wait here, I'll go get my uncle."

"Pardon?"

"Yeah!" the kid said, already turning around and heading back to town. "I'll tell him everything you've told me and ask if he knows anything! I bet he'll want to talk to you!"

Sure, Tao thought, and he'll definitely ask why I lied to him the day we met and said I was here as a seasonal worker.

"I-I'm not sure that's a good idea!" Tao called after him. "I don't want to bother him—"

"It'll be fine!" Luke said, waving his hand carelessly. "I bet he'll be happy to help you find your family!"

Tao didn't need to be a mind reader to hear the unspoken _"And figure out if we're related_. _"_

"I don't want to cause trouble!" Tao called, jogging lightly to catch up to Luke. "Really, there is no need to do this."

Luke paused, looking at him. "You don't want to find out?" he asked.

No, Tao thought.

"Yes, of course," Tao said. "But having him come out here, away from the farm..."

Luke's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh, you're right...Uncle Owen gets really grumpy when things don't get done..."

Tao relaxed a little. Thank the Force, he didn't have to—

"Come on!" Luke said, starting to walk again.

...what?

"Uh..."

"To my speeder!" Luke declared. "I'll take you to Uncle Owen! Faster than trying to convince him to come here!"

Kriffing hell, this was torture!

"Definitely not a good idea!" Tao said, grabbing Luke's arm, trying his best to ignore how the boy was positively _thrumming_ with the Force. "How do you think that will look? You showing up at your uncle's farm with a complete stranger who talks about long lost family? No matter what the circumstances are, that's suspicious! Your uncle definitely won't like it!"

Luke sighed, disappointed. "I guess," he said sourly. At least he saw reason. "He doesn't like it when Old Ben comes around either—he's so unfriendly—I don't know what his problem is!"

"He's just worried about you, I'm sure," Tao said, giving him a gentle smile. "Family's like that."

"All the more reason to have you two meet so we can figure out if we are," Luke countered, looking sly.

This kid was going to be the death of him, Tao suspected as he sighed. "Fine, tell your uncle about me," he said. "Say I'm more than happy to talk to him if he's willing. I'll wait here, though. I'd rather not be shot as a trespasser."

"That's fair," Luke said happily. "Uncle Owen gets a little trigger happy around the dry season. We've had to scare off more than a few water thieves the past few weeks."

"And I'd rather not get mistaken for one," Tao said with a nod.

"Okay!" Luke said, taking off running again. "I'll head home right now! Stay in town, Mister Tao!"

"Bye," Tao said, waving at the rapidly disappearing form, breathing out when Luke was out of sight.

He needed to think up a few excuses. Or a better cover story.

Or...or something!

He'd expected to find a Force sensitive. He hadn't expected them to be a child...or for his cover story to work so well. And...well, he hadn't really planned ahead for what he was going to do when he _found_ the Force-sensitive either, idiot as he was.

Master always said I was too impulsive sometimes, he thought, slowly wandering back to Bea's garage. In the distance, a landspeeder shot off towards the horizon.

Would it be uncouth of him to run back to Mos Eisley? Tao had a feeling he'd just make things more awkward and embarrassing, and downright _suspicious_. He needed the help of someone with the people touch.

He needed Nani.

"Been to the station, then?" Bea asked as he entered the garage. She was cleaning up her tools, having finished a repair of some sort. "Found any leads?"

"Something like that," Tao said. "Um, what's the fastest way to get back to Mos Eisley?"

Bea looked up from her tool chest, narrowing her eyes. "Unless you've got a speeder of your own? Transport you arrived on stops by in three days. You can catch that back to Mos Eisley. Why, though?" she asked. "Have you been up to something, Mister Tao?"

"Oh, no, not at all," he said quickly. "I just...I didn't find the individual I was looking for here. I was going to head back to Mos Eisley and regroup, so to speak. Re-assess my leads."

Well, if Bea didn't find him suspicious before, she definitely did now. "I'm afraid the transport's it, Mister Tao," she said. "You could ask some of the residents here, but Mos Eisley isn't a place folk here go to unless absolutely necessary. I don't think you'll find anyone willing to take you unless you paid them _well_."

And Tao's credits were in danger of running dry as it was.

Damn, he was going to have to face Uncle Owen's rage all on his own, without Nani there to guide the conversation in a productive direction.

Was it too late to become a hermit out in the desert?

The late evening found Tao pacing around his small room, glancing out the window every now and then. The view hadn't changed, the alley ever present, and with no lights to illuminate it. He wasn't sure what he expected to see.

Maybe Luke, finally back from the farm with his uncle in tow, eagerly waving at him.

That was, honestly, the worst sight he could imagine at the moment.

Well, actually, the _worst_ thing would be a group of stormtroopers about to perform a search of Bea's house. Luke and his uncle were a close second. Third worst was just Owen Lars on his own.

The clocks struck ten, and Bea's curfew began, the woman closing her garage door and locking it firmly. The rest of Anchorhead appeared to follow the same schedule, various gates and shutters coming down to seal off the buildings outside. Some of the bigger households even had alarm systems to deter thieves and raiding sand people.

Tao breathed out, feeling a little relieved. This had to mean Luke wasn't going to come back until tomorrow, right? The boy was eager, but hopefully smart enough to know better than to try and brave the dangers of Tatooine at night. Presumably Uncle Owen had put his foot down.

Good, that meant Tao had another few hours to plan ahead...and panic a little.

And maybe try to find someone who could give him lessons in creative thinking. Just living in hiding was simple enough as long as he kept his distance from people, but this whole fiasco had taught that he needed to think faster when engaging with them.

Not that he intended to make finding fledgling Force-sensitives a regular activity of his, but it could surely come in handy later.

He sighed and sat on his bed. "So, I found him," he muttered. "Now what?"

He hadn't thought that far ahead.

Hah, big surprise.

Maybe, deep down, he'd hoped to find an adult—maybe even an actual Jedi—who'd simply momentarily lost control, and Tao could warn them about future outbursts, and then he could go back to Mos Eisley and Nani.

Job done.

If they were a young child, he could simply tell them to be careful and keep their anger under control, maybe spin a little terrifying tale of how dangerous it could be to lose one's temper.

A teenager, however...Tao had no idea how to handle one of those. Especially not one who'd heard Tao's cover story and convinced himself that they were long lost relatives. Not only did Tao have to crush Luke's hope for a family, but also reveal to him that he possessed a power that would make him a target of the Galactic Empire if they were to learn of his existence.

Maybe he should have just ignored the pulse. Left well enough alone.

But no, he'd gone running straight towards the first Force-sensitive he'd felt in years.

Had he really been that lonely? Had Nani truly hit the nail so squarely on the head?

Tao sighed and collapsed on the bed, burying his face in the slightly musty-smelling pillow, groaning loudly. Could he smother himself with it?

Before he could try, though, there was a knock at his door.

"Mister Tao?" Bea said on the other side. "Are you all right in there?"

"I'm good, thank you," he replied, turning his head.

"If you say so," Bea said, coughing. "Only, I would appreciate if you kept your self-abuse to the night-time hours, so I can't hear it. It's just not a line I am comfortable crossing with you."

"Yes, Miss Bea," he said, wishing a pit would open up and swallow him whole. "Sorry."

"As long as we're clear," Bea said, humming. "Good night, Mister Tao."

"Good night, Miss Bea," Tao said, waiting until her footsteps and faint Force presence was gone before turning back into his pillow, screaming.

* * *

Zil kneeled on the floor as the projector whirred to life, its lamps blinking as they began to light up, drawing the image on the other end of the connection in the air, a few feet in front of her.

_"Tails,"_ the hazy, sputtering image of her trainer, a brother whose nickname among the recruits was Whip, on account of his fondness of disciplining them, said. The poor signal, relayed across the sector by multiple communication buoys across the Galaxy, was struggling to keep the audio somewhat clear. _"Your report is early. Run out of leads already?"_

His voice was amused, laced with mocking venom. He hadn't expected much out of her and was clearly satisfied at being right.

Or so he thought.

Zil grinned. "No, sir," she said. "I have good news, in fact. I know where the Jedi is."

The mocking smile on Whip's face fell a little. _"Hm, is that so? And how can you be so sure?"_

"I have seen him in the memories of one of the locals," she said. "He was in Mos Eisley less than a few days ago, and now appears to be in a small settlement called Anchorhead out in the wastes."

_"What is he doing out there?"_

Zil shrugged. "Hiding, I presume? According to the local troops, it's just a trading post for the moisture farmers. There is _nothing_ out there, sir."

Whip looked thoughtful for a moment, rubbing his chin. An uncomfortable couple of seconds passed. _"Excellent work, Tails,"_ he said finally. _"We had high hopes for you, and you have certainly delivered."_

"Thank you, sir," she said, bowing her head. "I will move to intercept and detain the fugitive immediately, and—"

_"No."_

She hesitated. "No?" she asked.

_"Make no mistake, Tails,"_ he said, _"we are impressed you were able to find the Jedi, but bringing him in is not something we're willing to leave to a novice. I will dispatch some of the siblings to Tatooine right away. They will take charge and detain the Jedi. You will be allowed to assist, of course, but only for observation purposes."_

"What? But sir, he's _my_ target—"

_"And there is no telling what he is capable of, regardless of how weak he may appear,"_ he interrupted, scowling. _"You have just proven your usefulness, Tails. Don't screw up now and cost us a valuable asset."_

"Sir, I insist that—"

_"Are you disobeying a direct order, Zil'kari?"_ he asked, his face falling into a neutral mask, his voice lowering further, the static of the connection making him sound menacing. _"Need I remind you what happens to traitors?"_

She had seen what happened to the novices who disobeyed or were otherwise found wanting by the Inquisition. She'd rather not be on the receiving end of _that_ sort of torture. But the idea of just...just sitting back and _waiting_ for someone to steal her glory? Of _hoping_ that her contribution to this capture would be acknowledged and rewarded?

No, unacceptable. She'd greet them with the Jedi weakling bound and gagged. They couldn't punish her for that.

Still, had to keep up appearances...

"I...no, sir. I will stand by for the siblings' arrival."

_"Good girl,"_ he said, chuckling. _"We'll make an inquisitor out of you yet. You just have to learn a little patience. They should reach you in a matter of days. In the meantime, stay put, and make sure the Jedi doesn't leave. Lock down the spaceport if you have to. Ask the garrison commander for assistance."_

"Understood."

_"Good. Out."_

She remained kneeling until the image flickered out, leaving the communications room dark. She took a moment to breathe, harnessing the anger she felt at being brushed aside like this and channelling it into strength.

She stood up and left the communications room. Hana waited in the hall outside, still dressed in civilian clothes. She straightened upon seeing Zil.

"How did it go, ma'am?" she asked.

"It went," Zil said, striding past Hana, heading for the commander's office. "I've been asked to detain the target and hold him until the specialists arrive to take him back to the Core for interrogation."

"By yourself?" Hana asked. "That sounds dangerous."

"It is," Zil said, giving Hana grin that had the trooper's eyes widening with surprise and delight. "Which is why you're coming with me...along with a squad of Commander Renoe's finest."

Or what passes for finest on Tatooine, at any rate, she added to herself.

She didn't bother knocking on the commander's door, striding into the office like she owned it, his adjutant making a powerless attempt to stop her, though Hana intercepted him on the way.

Commander Renoe did _not_ look happy to have his office invaded without warning, especially since he seemed to be in the middle of...something. Zil didn't care what it was. It looked boring, at any rate. A report, or something.

"Commander," she said curtly. "I have need of your resources."

Renoe tried to settle his face into an emotionless mask, and he almost succeeded save for a slight curl of his upper lip, the sort that was endemic in all Imperial officers. They probably had to take a class on getting it to curl just right.

"Ah, Mistress Zil'kari," he said, sounding about as thrilled to see her as he'd be to find a Krayt dragon in his bunk. Actually, there'd be a lot of screaming in that case. Oh well, can't have everything. "What can I do for you?"

A wave of hostility rolled off him as he spoke, suggesting he'd like nothing more than for her to ask him to put a blaster to her head and pull the trigger. It was cute, really.

"I have picked up the target's trail," Zil said, walking to stand directly in front of his desk, leaning over it a bit so he couldn't hide behind it. "I intend to take him into custody. I shall require a squad of your best troopers, a pair of high-security shackles, some sort of tranquilizer, and..."

She trailed off. Wasn't there something else she needed?

"Transport, ma'am," Hana piped up from behind Zil, where she was still keeping the adjutant pressed up against the wall, casually leaning on his trachea with her elbow.

"Ah, that's right," Zil said, snapping her finger. "Transport, commander. Something armoured, preferably."

"Shall I arrange a parade as well?" Renoe said sourly.

"Maybe _after_ we bring him in, commander," she said with a grin.

Renoe's expression changed, morphing into a grin of his own. "Well, I'm afraid I can't help you there, mistress," he said.

Zil frowned. "And why is that, commander?" she asked, putting as much venom into his title as possible.

"Well, my briefing only states that I am to assist you with _locating_ the target," he said, bringing up his datapad and showing it to her. "Says nothing about _apprehending_ him." He leaned forward defiantly, issuing a challenge. "I'm not stupid, mistress," he continued. "They don't send inquisitors, trainees or otherwise, to apprehend a single man unless he is highly dangerous, incredibly valuable, or both. The sort that is so high above my pay grade that I have no business even knowing about it."

Zil glared. "You are to assist me—"she began, but he cut her off with a huff.

"And funnily enough, I just received a message from your superiors," he said, delivering the final blow. "Stating that I am to simply lock down Mos Eisley to the best of my ability and await backup." He smiled up at her. "So, I'm afraid, mistress, that I will _not_ defy direct orders to help you defy yours, which I assume are to sit tight and wait as well."

Zil's jaw clenched, anger swelling within her. Of course they hadn't trusted her to stay put, pre-emptively messaging Renoe to prevent her from going out there and get the glory for herself. How pathetic could they get, feeling the need to stunt her ascent like this?

And this...this smug little bastard was clearly enjoying this, thinking he was somehow in control.

No.

No more!

She let the anger erupt, feeling the scorching hot waves wash over her, burning her skin and tearing her apart, dragging her away.

Her hand found her lightsaber, dragging it from her belt. The blade, as red-hot as her anger, ignited with a loud, static crash and hummed as it cut through the air, neatly slicing the commander's desk in half diagonally, the point barely missing the tip of his nose (though he certainly felt the intense heat) as she spun around. She called upon the Force and flung the now separate desk pieces aside, and then used it to push the commander against the back wall of his office, holding him in place like a piece of vertical roadkill.

Behind her, she was vaguely aware of the sounds of struggling, a loud thud and the coughs of someone who'd just gotten socked in the gut.

"Stay down, corporal," Hana said, her voice breathless.

Renoe tried to speak, but the immense weight pressing against him was making it difficult for him to draw breath. Zil slowly walked closer, holding her blade out, pointed at him. The entire room was glowing red now from the saber, like it was covered in blood.

Who knew, by the time she was done with the commander, it might just be.

"I tried to be nice, commander," she said, baring her teeth in a snarl. "Clearly, that was a mistake."

She stopped a few steps away, the tip of her blade now inches away from his face. His face was red, and not just from the light of the saber, his eyes wide as plates, gaze flicking from Zil, to the lightsaber, and back.

"I reckon you haven't seen one of these before, have you?" she said tauntingly. "This, commander, is a lightsaber. Its blade is pure plasma. It'll cut through pretty much anything. You saw what it did to your desk. Imagine what it'll do to flesh."

She waved the blade in front of his face, taking great pleasure in how he squirmed...or tried to, at least, whimpering.

"I could go on and on about the pain of having your skin burned by a blade like this, commander," she said. "Believe me, I have felt it more than once. Inquisitorial training is merciless, and I have the scars to prove it. However, I am not interested in wasting any more time than I have to in this damned office, or on you, so I'm going to try this again."

She pulled the blade aside and stepped forward until her face was inches from his.

"Troops, transport, chains, and tranquillisers," she listed. "Is that clear? Or shall I share with you the details of my training?"

For a moment, a mere split-second, it looked like Renoe was going to continue defying her. Out of pride or a sense of duty to follow his orders, she didn't know, but it was there. A tiny spark of fighting spirit.

For that moment, she wondered if she was going to have to break into his mind and force him into compliance that way. Easier, certainly, but not nearly as satisfying as crushing his will with a little trauma and threats of violence. She wanted him to _know_ he'd lost to a Twi'lek, a species the Empire considered weak and of no consequence. She wanted him to _feel_ the shame of being brought to heel.

And she got her wish, as the spark within him died, and she let up the pressure just enough for him to nod.

"Good choice, commander," she said, releasing him and extinguishing her saber, replacing it on her belt.

The commander fell gasping to the floor like a meaty sack of bones and blubber, sweat pouring down his face.

"I will be expecting it all within the hour, is that understood?" she said, looking at him expectantly.

His withering glare was hilariously ineffective.

"Y-Yes, mistress," he finally managed to choke out after catching his breath. "Within the hour."

"Glad to hear we're on the same page, commander," she said, turning around to find Hana more or less sitting on top of the adjutant, her hand on the back of his head, shoving his face into the carpeted floor.

The trooper looked horrified at what she was doing, her actions surely going against every bit of her stormtrooper training, but Zil could feel the enjoyment within her as well. She was having fun. Zil really had picked the best assistant.

"You can let him up now, Hana," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Hana replied immediately, standing up. The adjutant didn't move, wisely deciding it was best to remain still and hope not to draw anyone's attention.

"Oh, and commander?" Zil said without turning around. "I know you will try to inform my superiors of this. Rest assured, however, that if you were to do so, I will get to you _long_ before they get to me. So, let's keep this between the two of us, hm?"

Anger and humiliation, such a delightful mix, was filling the commander's from top to bottom. Eventually, though, he said, "Yes, mistress."

And she could detect no hint of a lie.

"Good," she purred. "One hour, commander. Don't disappoint me."

Hana could only look at her with awe as they left the commander's office, pushing past the bewildered troopers who'd assembled outside at the sound of trouble.

"I don't think I can return to my post here once this is all over, ma'am," the trooper said quietly once they were away from the crowd, heading into the courtyard. "I wasn't popular with Commander Renoe to begin with, but now..."

"Whatever happens next, Hana, I can assure you that you will not be stationed on this dust ball," Zil said, giving her a nod. "Once we've apprehended the target ourselves, we will be rewarded for it. I will ask that you be reassigned to the Inquisitorius, as your talents are clearly wasted on Tatooine."

Hana's face lit up much like Zil's lightsaber.

Oh yes, she had _definitely_ picked the best assistant.

* * *

Out in the wastes, on a small homestead, Luke Skywalker was _not_ happy. Confined to his room, he paced angrily as he grumbled, pausing only to look out his window and into the darkness.

Uncle Owen was a tyrant. There was no question about it. Years of unanswered questions about Luke's family, and what does his uncle do when someone who might have the answers turns up?

Ground him. Immediately, and angrily. Yelling about how Luke should know better than to approach strangers. Luke's arguments had fallen on deaf ears, while Uncle Owen's had only grown more incoherent as he'd started yelling about slavers and whatnot.

Like the man Luke had met could possibly be a slaver. He hadn't been nearly smooth enough for that. Besides, Luke hadn't felt any threat whatsoever coming from Tao, and Luke was good at feeling out people, so to speak. If anything, something about the blonde, scarred man had been very intriguing.

He'd felt familiar somehow. Like something was pulling Luke towards him, despite Tao's clumsy and awkward behaviour. He'd felt it even as he'd passed Tao in the doorway at Tosche Station, but he'd been too excited about meeting up with Biggs and the others to pay much attention.

But Biggs' description of him, the mention of a cybernetic hand, and his apparent search for long lost family had superseded any plans for the Skyhopper that day.

Luke had so many questions for Tao. He wanted him to meet Uncle Owen so they could figure out if he was family after all. He wanted _something_ to happen. Biggs was leaving for the Imperial Academy soon, and stars knew things were going to get dull around here when he did.

He sighed and continued to stare out the window. It was too late to sneak out now—too dangerous. The sand people were always more aggressive during the dry season, far more willing to get closer to the moisture farms in their search for water.

"First thing tomorrow," he muttered. "I'm going back."


	9. Chapter 9

That sunrise was much like any other on Tatooine. The twin suns began to creep over the horizon, bathing the dunes in orange and red light, banishing the darkness little by little. Endemic life retreated to their burrows and caves, hiding from the harsh temperatures that would soon dominate the day. Alarms rang in homesteads, waking the farmers in preparation for a hard day's work.

At one particular farm, a young boy crept out of the main house and entered the garage, quietly opening the door and firing up his landspeeder, waiting until he was some distance away from the house before revving up the engine and setting off towards Anchorhead.

In Anchorhead, a young man left a garage and began to wander the streets in an aimless, forlorn fashion. Worried and unsure, he wondered what to do next.

Outside Anchorhead, an armoured personnel transport vehicle with Imperial markings had stopped some distance away from the town limits, its passengers having disembarked. A squad of twelve white-clad stormtroopers were observing the town through high-powered binoculars, planning their approach.

On the other side of the vehicle, in the shade of the rising suns, sat a green-skinned Twi'lek, his hands bound with manacles, his mouth gagged with cloth, and his face bruised. So secured, as he had done his fair share of damage to his captors. One trooper still walked with a limp from leaving his crotch unguarded for a moment. It had been a very satisfying kick. The Twi'lek glared silently at his two captors.

The human was standing guard over him, while the Twi'lek, sat cross-legged at the edge of a small outcropping of sandstone, overlooking the dune sea, seemingly meditating.

By the end of the day, several of these individuals would be dead.

* * *

Zil opened her eyes as she came out the meditative trance, having taken a moment to focus as her supposedly elite squad of stormtroopers (best operatives in the garrison, according to the commander) made their preparations.

They would ask some locals for leads on the Jedi and, if no satisfactory answers were forthcoming, conduct a house-to-house search if necessary. People out here tended to respond well, if not a little belligerently, to Imperial authority, and would likely give him up with little to no resistance unless he'd given them all a very good reason to hide him.

A mind trick was certainly not out of the question, but Zil highly doubted he'd be strong enough to put an entire settlement under his influence. Only someone as powerful as Lord Vader could possibly hope to accomplish such a feat.

She felt Hana's presence come up behind her, and hesitate.

"Can I help you, Hana?" Zil asked, keeping her eyes on the sandy wastes ahead. How someone could willingly live in such a desolate place was beyond her comprehension.

"Was wondering if I could join you," Hana said, her tone a little stilted. "Er, ma'am."

Zil grimaced a little. At some point she'd gotten used to hearing Hana use her nickname rather than the stiff and formal honorific. She was starting to prefer it, actually.

"What about our prisoner?" she asked, putting a little teasing lilt to her words.

Hana hesitated again, but her voice spoke firmly, "Where's he going to run?"

Zil looked at the wasteland. "Good point," she conceded, gesturing to the sandy rock she was sitting on. "By all means."

Hana sank onto the rock, quite gracefully for a stormtrooper...and a human. They all tended to be very stiff in their movements, in Zil's opinion, even the supposedly graceful ones. Hana was different, though. In quite a few ways, as Zil had learned.

A waste, putting her in the trooper corps, honestly. With a little training, she could probably be an agent. If she wanted, maybe even an enforcer—the troops who worked alongside Inquisitors to subdue resisting Jedi.

Yes, she'd do quite well, Zil imagined.

"Ma'am?"

"Zil."

She didn't even think about the correction. It just felt more appropriate, given the moment.

Hana paused. "Zil," she repeated. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"What you said about putting in a good word for me? About...getting me reassigned?"

Zil turned to look at her assistant, raising an eyebrow. The human wasn't looking at her at all, finding the desert far more interesting, apparently. Her shoulders were creeping upwards, making her look very hunched-over. Uncertainty thrummed within her, which Zil found odd.

"I'm not in the habit of saying things I don't mean," Zil said. "You have been great help to me, and I intend to see your efforts rewarded."

Maybe she didn't want to be in the Inquisitorius? That was disappointing, but understandable. Zil wasn't sure how the rest of the Imperial service branches saw the Inquisitors—perhaps they didn't have a good reputation, being fairly obscure compared to say, the navy or army branches. The rank and file. Zil could probably clear up some misunderstandings Hana had about the Inquisitorius, but if she'd already made up her mind...

She cleared her throat.

"If you do not wish to be assigned to the Inquisition, then perhaps there is somewhere else I can have you se—"

"No!"

They were both taken aback at Hana's outburst, the trooper looking mortified, leaning back. Zil's eyes widened.

Hana's face happened to catch the morning sunlight just right at that moment, and looked as if she was glowing. It highlighted the curve of her nose, the fullness of her lips...the freckles dancing across said nose.

Oh.

So that's what was appealing about humans...

"I mean..." Hana said, scratching her neck awkwardly. "No, I wouldn't mind being assigned to the Inquisition. That is...if it meant we could keep working together. Would that be...possible?"

Zil needed a moment to process the question, having stumbled over this newfound appreciation for her assistant's appearance. "Ah...well...I don't think we'd really get to choose," she said, humming. "But perhaps a special case could be made since we clearly...er...work well together."

Oh damn and blast, this was just embarrassing.

Hana smiled...and Zil was damned if it didn't rival the sunrise in brightness. Relief and joy filled welled up in the Force, and Zil knew that Hana was exceptionally happy about the opportunity. And maybe she herself was too...a little...

Then a wave of determination rose up within Hana, her mouth opening.

"Zil?"

She needed to take a breath. "Yes, Hana?"

"I'd like to keep working with you."

"Ah, yes, as would I—"

Zil paused when she felt something warm on her hand. She looked down. Her hand, left resting on her thigh, was covered by Hana's. The human's rested gently on top of hers, the calloused fingers gripping gently.

Not insistent. Just...there. Inquisitive, almost.

Zil's chest grew tight, her stomach roiling. Did that...was she implying...? What was Zil supposed to do? Say? Fraternising like this was surely frowned upon, and as an Inquisitor, Zil's life was to revolve around serving the Empire. Her job was to reject such advances. To scorn them.

But the words didn't come. The rejection that was meant to come automatically didn't rear its ugly head. The lambasting about Hana forgetting her place lay dead. Her tongue refused to articulate anything at all.

...which became a problem when Hana's nervousness began to grow more and more as Zil remained silent.

This was a new development. Zil had focused so much on her training and assignment that she hadn't thought...hadn't considered...

Did she...could she possibly _want_ this?

It was all too much. Her head was starting to spin, and if she let this continue, she wouldn't be able to think clearly. To keep her focus on the job at hand.

Nevertheless...

Slowly, she turned her hand so her palm was facing upwards. Their fingers didn't intertwine. That was too...final. Too confirming.

"This...really isn't the right time for this," Zil said, clearing her throat. Hana's face fell a little. "But...I would like to...discuss this once we're done here."

The human smiled, just as radiant as before. "Of course!" she said. "I'd love to...talk about this." Her presence in the Force was in turmoil, but only in what some would refer to as the good kind. She carefully let go of Zil's hand and stood up, looking towards the vehicle. If she were alone, Zil suspected Hana would be bouncing on her feet. "I'll look to the prisoner and check in with the others. See if they're ready to move out."

"You do that," Zil said, a little relieved. She needed a little moment to collect herself.

So much for her earlier meditation.

Right, time to focus. She had a job to do. A jedi to catch. Glory to gain.

And possibly a partner in more than one sense of the word.

She breathed in deeply, steeling herself, and stood up. Hana had Zennani on his feet, firmly guiding him towards the group of troopers.

To their credit, they _appeared_ to be professional, standing to attention as she approached.

"Is everything prepared?" Zil asked.

"Ma'am," the sergeant said, saluting. "Equipment check has been performed. Weapons are ready, as are the restraints. I'd like to send four men and the carrier to the other side of town and block the exit there, in case the fugitive decides to make a break for it."

"Good idea, sergeant," Zil said with an approving nod. Renoe had actually done his job properly then, and given her troopers that knew what they were doing. Good—meant she wouldn't have to kill him after all. "Anything else?"

"No, ma'am," he replied. "We're ready to execute at your word."

"Then let's not waste any more time," she said. "Move out!"

They loaded into the armoured vehicle and drove the rest of the way to Anchorhead. Zil, Hana, the hostage, and eight of the troopers disembarked near the gate, after which the vehicle trundled on along the crumbling walls, heading to cut off the other gate...or what served as a gate, at least.

Honestly, Anchorhead looked even smaller in real life than it had on the map. Where the Jedi could possibly be hiding here, in this ramshackle collection of buildings and dusty streets, she had no idea. Hell, even just shouting for him could be effective.

"Ma'am," the sergeant said as they walked through the gate, "Bren and the others are in position with the carrier, and have blocked the north exit completely. No one's getting past the carrier. They're awaiting orders."

"Have two of them start asking locals near the gate if they've seen our target," Zil said, stopping.

Yes, this would do. Here, they would be blocking the Jedi's exit out the south gate, and a couple of troops could take up firing positions on the balconies around them. Perfect spot for an ambush. Now they just needed to draw the Jedi out.

"Sergeant," she said, "put a couple of men on each side of the street at elevated positions. Doesn't hurt to be on the safe side."

"Understood," the sergeant said, doing just that. "Any threat level we can expect, ma'am?"

"Minimal, sergeant," Zil said confidently. "He might lash out, but I will handle him if so."

"Understood."

"Where do you want me?" Hana asked, her hand around Zennani's arm. The male Twi'lek looked absolutely furious, which had been his general mood since he'd woken up in the carrier late last night. Private Bren still had a bit of a limp.

"Here is just fine, Hana," Zil said. "Sergeant, remove the prisoner's gag, will you? Maybe we can make him squeal a little and draw in the target that way."

"Lin, see to it," the sergeant ordered another trooper.

"Yes, sir," the trooper said, beginning to fiddle with the cloth gag in Zennani's mouth. It was a fiddly knot, and he eventually had to remove his gloves to get it off him.

Zil was about to warn Lin about this being a bad idea, but Zennani was just a little faster. The moment the gag was out of his mouth, he snarled and sank his filed, pointed teeth into the trooper's hand.

Lin howled and tried to pull his hand back, but Zennani was clamped onto it like a Karkarodon, and all it did was cause more of Lin's flesh to be torn. Then Zennani bit down even harder, and Zil _heard_ the bones break before the other Twi'lek viciously wrenched his head aside, ripping one of Lin's fingers clean off and leaving two others a mangled mess. Zennani spat the digit out onto the sand, grinning viciously at them.

"Who's next?" he asked, blood dripping from his mouth. He turned to Hana, and Zil felt a vicious, protective urge welling up within her...but the human was already moving, driving her knee into Zennani's stomach, knocking the air out of him and dropping him to the ground, coughing and wheezing.

"Nicely done," Zil said.

"Thank you, ma'am," Hana said, beaming.

"Argh!" Lin said.

"Medic!"

* * *

Tao was not having a good morning. He'd left Bea's garage early, having spent most of the night awake, trying to figure out how to handle the Luke situation in a way that wouldn't leave the boy resentful, but also aware of what he was and how dangerous it would be not to keep tight rein on his power.

He'd figured that the fresh morning air would help him think clearer, but all it had done was make him shiver miserably in the cold. The view of the desolate wastes did little for his imagination, so he'd taken to the streets of Anchorhead instead, letting his feet carry him wherever.

That didn't help him think either, but now at least he had updated his already quite accurate mental map of the town and all its little alleys and side streets that, more often than not, led to a dead end in the form of junk piles, random debris and, in one case, a building that had just collapsed from disrepair.

He'd given up on finding a magic solution to all of this and had decided to head back to the garage and await his fate. He had been about to emerge from the alley when he'd spotted a flash of white that had his hair standing on end.

Instinct took over, and he ducked back into the alley, peeking out from behind the wall to take in the sight of a pair of stormtroopers speaking to one of the locals, who shrugged in answer to whatever question he was asked, and dismissed. Behind them, near the northern gate, an Imperial armoured vehicle was blocking the way, another pair of troopers standing guard.

When the hell had they gotten here? How long had Tao been wandering the streets?

The troopers, not satisfied with the local's answer, then headed for Bea's garage. Tao felt the urge to intervene, to protect his host from the troops, but fought it down. Chances were he'd just make the situation worse.

For all he knew, the troopers weren't even here for him.

Hah, hope. A puny thing, easily dashed, and this time was no exception as Bea eventually emerged from the garage with the troopers and immediately pointed them towards one of the alleys Tao had been wandering that morning. One of the troopers had Tao's pack in their hands.

Fire began to burn in the pit of his stomach, but Tao reined it in carefully. Of course Bea had given him up. He'd been nothing but suspicious in his time with her, and she'd warned him about staying out of trouble.

Still, he knew better than to trust her ever again.

The pair of troopers relayed their findings via radio, it seemed, the ones at the gate remaining where they were while the two who'd spoken to Bea immediately headed for the alley she'd pointed out.

Right, time to leave, Tao thought as he turned back and headed deeper into the alley, turning south. He could take four troopers on his own, but the problem was that there was never just a few of them. And the more troopers there were, the bigger the chance of someone getting caught in the crossfire.

And if Tao was in danger, so was Luke.

His intention was to head for the south gate, hoping that the Imperials hadn't blocked that off as well, and sneak out. He'd have to make his way to Luke somehow and get him out here.

Somehow.

He was moving along the cluttered side street, trying to come up with a plan when it struck him.

A wave of Force energy, tinged with the dark side. It washed over him, clinging to his being like tar. It was a familiar feeling, and almost one that Tao had missed, were it not for the fact that he did not recognise this individual...and his breath caught when he realised the pulse had been deliberate.

A dark Force user had just issued a challenge to him.

They knew he was here.

How? Why?

Where were they?

Dreading the answer, Tao reached out with the Force in an ever-widening circle around himself, finding the energy to be stronger to the south. And there it was, near where he assumed the south gate to be. A presence so tinged with the dark side Tao almost thought he'd been transported back in time, to the days when his home had been a Star Destroyer roaming the stars.

The Inquisition had found him, then.

He'd been dreading this moment for years.

And he thought he'd been so careful, making sure to leave as little trace of himself as possible wherever he went.

The Force user was surrounded by other signatures as well. More troopers, presumably. Though one was in distress, panic and fury seeping into their echo in equal amounts. Tao gently touched that echo...and his stomach plunged.

Nani!

They had Nani!

Master had always said impulsiveness would be the death of him. Tao was inclined to agree, but there was no power in the Galaxy that could stop him from immediately sprinting towards the south gate and the ambush that inevitably awaited him there, gripping his lightsaber tightly.

They had taken Nani, but they wouldn't keep him.

* * *

Zil smiled. There was no way even a weakling like their target could have missed that pulse. Her smile grew when she felt a careful push back, curious prods to feel out her presence and purpose.

Hardly any weight at all behind them. At this rate, there might not even be a fight.

Which would be disappointing. Zil had wanted to test her skills against a Jedi...but one couldn't have everything.

"Zil?" Hana asked. "What's going on?"

"I've just let our target know where I am," she said, glancing over to Hana, and then at Zennani. "Your friend will either have to come to us...or wait until the troopers find him. Which do you think is more likely, Zennani?"

"He's no coward," the Twi'lek growled, face still bloody from biting off Lin's finger, a fresh bruise under his eye from said trooper getting a good punch in after having his hand wrapped. "He'll come...and you'll regret ever trying to mess with him."

He wasn't even putting on a brave face. Zennani seemed to truly believe it. Zil snorted.

"We'll see," she said. "This is one of those moments that will define your friend as a coward or an idiot. Let's see which he is—"

She paused, turning her head to look down the street. The locals of Anchorhead had wisely sought shelter when they saw Imperial troops arrive, leaving the streets mostly deserted.

Save for the robed person further down the road, walking towards them in a slow, deliberate fashion. Zil frowned, reaching out to him. Her prods were rebuffed firmly, and she laughed.

"Well, he's an idiot, it seems," she said, nodding to Hana. "Keep back, Hana, make sure the prisoner doesn't do anything stupid. Sergeant, call the men from the north, and stand by."

"Got it, Zil."

"Copy that, ma'am."

She removed her outer robes, revealing her Inquisition uniform. A black bodysuit, reinforced shoulder guards and bracers, the Imperial crest proudly displayed on her arms. She made sure her lightsaber was visible on her belt, but not drawing it yet.

At the same time, the Jedi removed his hooded jacket, dropping it to the dusty ground, revealing a set of worn, threadbare clothes that betrayed his nature as a drifter. His hair was blonde and tied back, a scar running across his right eye. Perfect match to the image taken from Aeternitas Station, and the memory from Zennani's mind. A lightsaber hilt hung from his belt, but he had yet to draw it.

A display of bravado, surely. An attempt to make himself look more formidable than he truly was, to scare Zil off.

It wouldn't work. Zil grinned.

This was going to be _fun_!

* * *

Tao forced himself to remain calm, even as he noticed the bound and bloody form of Nani behind the dark side user. He looked a bit worse for wear, but he seemed more angry than anything else, and that made Tao feel a little better.

It let him shift his focus to the Inquisitor...for what else could she be, dressed like that? He was surprised to see that she was a Twi'lek—he'd assumed the Empire didn't care for non-humans in their ranks, especially not in the elite branches. Her skin was a light orange, like a fiery sunrise, which made her uniform stand out even more. Her _lekku_ were tied back with black strips of cloth in a simple, utilitarian pattern.

She had a squad of stormtroopers with her, three privates and a sergeant near the Inquisitor herself, the rest positioning themselves around Tao, the remaining four rapidly approaching from the north gate.

Trying to box him in.

He breathed deeply, keeping focus. He'd wanted nothing more than to charge violently into the ambush area and take them all out before they could react, but his master's voice had spoken to him as he ran, brought forth from his memories.

_"Only a fool charges blindly onto the battlefield. Unless you know everything there is to know about a situation, you watch and assess. Then, with all the information at hand, you crush your enemies without mercy."_

Knowing Nani was there as well meant that if Tao made a mistake then the Twi'lek could get hurt as well.

Tao would never be able to forgive himself if that happened. Frankly, he wasn't sure he could forgive himself for getting Nani dragged into all this to begin with.

I should have stayed away from him, he thought as he came to a stop about ten paces away from the Inquisitor and her troops.

"So," the Twi'lek said haughtily, a smug grin on her face. "There you are."

"Here I am," Tao replied, holding his hands out. "What do you want?"

He felt a little twinge of triumph at the way her grin momentarily fell, clearly not expecting the question. She covered it up quickly, though, giving an amused huff.

"I am Zil'kari of the Imperial Inquisition," she said. "I'm certain you've heard of us."

Self-satisfaction was filling her to the brim. It was honestly a little sad. She couldn't have been much older than Tao, or maybe even the same age, but she was clearly not an experienced Inquisitor. A recruit, maybe.

Not that it meant she was any less dangerous of a fighter, but it did open up a few more paths for Tao to take, maybe.

"The name's come up here and there, yes," Tao replied.

"Then you know that resistance is foolish," Zil'kari said. "I've been looking for you, Jedi. You've done well, hiding for so long, but it ends today. Come with us quietly, and you won't be harmed."

Until he was handed over to the Inquisition's torturers for interrogation, where his mind would be broken so thoroughly he either died or joined them.

Tao knew which one he'd prefer.

He glanced at Nani, their eyes meeting. Tao's heart skipped a beat. Nani had always been lovely to look at (even he could admit that), but now, looking as fierce as he did, covered in blood that clearly wasn't his...

I'll save you, he thought, hoping Nani would get his message. The Twi'lek's expression grew determined.

"Friend of yours?" Zil'kari asked, laughing. "I'll admit, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't have found you. He led us directly to you."

"I didn't tell them anything!" Nani shouted. "Please, believe me!"

"I know," Tao said, nodding. "I know you didn't."

"Touching," Zil'kari said. "Not that it matters, in the end. Tell me...you know, I don't even know your name. Care to enlighten me, Jedi?"

"Tao," he replied. "And I'd appreciate it if you stopped calling me that."

"What, Jedi?" she asked.

"Yes," Tao said.

"Don't like labels, do we?" she said, laughing.

"Not when they're wrong," he said. "So, what's yours? Trainee? Rookie? Novice? Acolyte? Forgive me, I'm not familiar with the Inquisitions rank structure."

Oh, she didn't like that. Anger flared up within her, her smile instantly turning into an ugly grimace, her hand straying towards her lightsaber. Tao allowed himself a smug little smile of his own.

"You can't be very high up," he continued. "Otherwise you'd have more than just...what, twelve men at your disposal? I'd assume you'd have the whole garrison at your beck and call, if so. Should I feel insulted for being hunted by someone like you?"

"Quiet, worm!" Zil'kari hissed. "I will not be talked down to by a weakling like you! I have been trained by the finest swordsmen and Force users the Empire has to offer! What are you but a lowly vagabond who scurries from hole to hole, desperate to hide!"

It was hard, keeping his cool like this. The Inquisitor was easily riled, but she wasn't so undisciplined as to simply let go of her advantage. Nani was held down firmly by the human in civilians clothes behind her, though she too was clearly a trooper judging from her stance...and the blaster in her hand. Tao couldn't just let loose either, or Nani might get caught up in it.

"Last chance, _Jedi,_ " the Inquisitor spat. "Surrender now, or you and your friend will face the consequences."

As if to illustrate her point, she unhooked her saber from her belt, igniting it. The crimson blade shot out of the hilt with an electric crash and a loud hum, and she assumed a combat stance. For good measure she let her power roll off her in waves, much like the pulse from before. To her credit, she was stronger than Tao had thought. He felt the pressure pushing down on him like a heavy weight.

Had he been a weak, scared Jedi on the run, he might have been intimidated into surrendering from this display alone.

But Tao wasn't weak.

He wasn't weak.

And he wasn't a damned Jedi!

He let her gloat for a moment before carefully relaxing his hold on his own power, which he'd kept under such firm hold for so long he'd almost assumed it was gone.

It wasn't.

It was like an eruption, like a colossal tempest flaring up and surging around him. Darkness and light, locked in a never-ending struggle he refused to end, a battle of sheer power that dwarfed Zil'kari's and engulfed the street like fire consuming oxygen.

It was such a release it even affected those not sensitive to the Force. The troopers looked uncertainly at each other, the female trooper looked to the Inquisitor for answers, and Nani...

Nani's eyes were wide, but not with fear. They were wide with...awe? Admiration? His sharpened teeth were on display in a vicious grin that spoke of nothing but trouble...though Tao knew not for whom.

It was like stretching a limb that had been cramped for years—like unfurling a pair of wings for the first time. It was a relief—a rapturous ecstasy that almost had Tao forget why he kept his power hidden in the first place.

He sighed in relief and looked to Zil'kari. The Inquisitor's face was a mask of horror, of realisation of just how badly she'd calculated the risks involved.

"Ma'am?" the stormtrooper sergeant asked. "What...what do we do?"

"T-Take him," Zil'kari said, weakly at first. "Take him!" she shrieked.

The trooper that had been trying to sneak up on Tao from behind sprang into action, the buzzing of an electric shock rod filling Tao's ears. It was too easy. He reached out and clenched his fist. The trooper choked, his neck snapping like a dry twig, his body flung away with a simple wave of Tao's hand.

Too easy.

"Open fire, you idiots! Kill him!"

Tao didn't even remember reaching for his lightsaber, his instincts and years of training taking over, having remained dormant but never forgotten all this time. His own crimson blade came to life with a roar, and by the time the first blaster was fired he was already moving, boots thudding against the sandy ground, moving faster than a human should be able to with the help of the Force. The nearest stormtrooper's face was hidden by his helmet, but Tao felt his fear anyway, barely giving him time to realise what was happening before his saber cleaved the trooper in half.

He was already halfway to the next enemy before the first hit the ground. This one managed to fire his blaster directly at Tao, who simply lowered his lightsaber, intercepting the shot with the beam. It bounced off the saber, directly back towards the one who'd fired it.

The smell of burned flesh and melting plastoid filled Tao's nostrils as he ran past the trooper who'd just gotten hit with his own bolt, pausing only briefly to lop his head off and call the now dead trooper's blaster to his free hand.

The remaining troopers fired, none of the shots connecting. Most missed Tao entirely, those that didn't were deflected. Calling on the Force, Tao jumped into the air, high enough to be face to face with one of the troopers on the balconies. He raised his blaster and shot the trooper right in the face, the mask doing little to protect the squishy flesh behind, glass and metal exploding.

He dropped the blaster and swung himself over the railing of the balcony, taking the trooper's partner by surprise.

"Die, scum—hrgh!"

She barely managed to get the words out before Tao ran her through with his saber, ending her life in an instant. He grabbed her lifeless corpse with the Force and flung it at the balcony across the streets, smashing it into one trooper and hurling his lightsaber at the other. The soldier instinctively raised his arms to protect his head and body, but the saber cut through it all, leaving him in more pieces than a puzzle. Tao recalled his saber and shot the trooper struggling under the body of his comrade, the hole in her chest still smoking, in the neck.

He then swung himself over the railing again, landing back on street level.

Seven troopers down, five to go.

Three more troopers fell shortly after—two to their own bolts reflected back at them, the last losing first a hand and then his head to an ill-advised attack with a short blade.

Soon after, Tao stood where he'd began, about ten paces away from Zil'kari. All that remained of her forces were the sergeant and an already injured trooper, the human female, and the Inquisitor herself.

Zil'kari's face was pale, her expression frozen in horror.

"H...How?" she said. "Sergeant!"

"Ma'am!" the sergeant said, drawing a thermal detonator from his and hurling it at Tao. "Take that!"

Tao watched the spherical grenade soar through the air towards him, stopping it in the air just as it reached the top of its arc. Then, with the smallest of taps, he sent it flying right back into the sergeant's face.

A flare of surprise and shock, and then the explosion ended him.

The injured trooper, nothing but panic filling his very being, decided enough was enough, turning tail to flee.

Witnesses...

_"Leave none."_

The voice came unbidden, but he did not disobey. He raised the blaster and shot the trooper in the back, his body kicking up a cloud of sandy dust as it hit the ground. The blaster clattered as Tao dropped it.

Messy things, but effective.

Tao and Zil'kari regarded each other for a long moment.

"Let him go," Tao said, nodding to Nani. "And I might consider letting you live."

"Who...Who are you?" she asked, teeth bared, raising her saber and falling back into a defensive stance. "You're no Jedi!"

Tao couldn't help but chuckle. "I already told you that," he said. "My name is Tao, and I'm definitely not a Jedi. My Masters were Reeve Rethera, killed at the Battle of Shumari, and Darth Vader of the Galactic Empire."

It had been such a long time since he'd admitted that to even himself. Referring to Master Rethera and Master Vader as just _Master_ had kept his old life at a distance, made it easier to keep his head down and just hide. Using the names—both of them—was like releasing a dam.

It felt good, not having to hide, even if it was just for a moment. His anger was reaching its peak, and he'd like nothing more than to slice Zil'kari and her last soldier into ribbons...but he wouldn't give in to the anger. He wouldn't let it flow through him unchecked—he kept it on a tight leash. It was his to control, not the other way around.

Zil'kari looked like she was about to turn as green as Nani, her determination wavering. Behind her, her henchman looked torn between staying and running, though her blaster was still pointed at Nani.

His rage surged up, threatening to break loose, but he reined it back in.

He couldn't look at Nani. Not yet. Tao was afraid of his reaction.

"You...you were trained by Lord Vader?" the Inquisitor asked, sounding half-way hysterical. "H-How stupid do you think I am?! Why should I believe you?!"

"I don't care if you believe me or not," Tao said. "But you know what I can do. I've killed all your men. Now, let Nani go, or I'll kill you too!"

"I'm not afraid of you, whelp!" Zil'kari shouted. "Hana, kill the whore!" she shouted, suddenly rushing forward and bringing her saber down in an overhead strike that would've cut Tao in half vertically if he hadn't blocked it with his own lightsaber.

Panic struck him. He wasn't fast enough. He could only look over the Inquisitor's shoulder as her last trooper—Hana—aimed her blaster at Nani's head, finger on the trigger. Mind trick, mind blast, static discharge, kriffing lightning—none of his tricks would reach Hana quickly enough to stop her.

She made to pull the trigger...and hesitated.

Tao's heart skipped a beat once more.

And Nani sprang into action, launching himself at the woman from his kneeling position, bowling her over and causing her blaster shot to veer wildly to the side. The Twi'lek reared his head back and Hana leaned back, anticipating a headbutt, but Nani turned his head instead. She wasn't prepared for one his _lekku_ to smash into the side of her head, causing her to lose her grip on her blaster.

And then Tao couldn't watch any more, as the Inquisitor drew back and unleashed a barrage of blows with her saber, screaming a war cry.

Her body surged with the dark side of the Force, letting it fuel her anger, her strength, her attacks.

But it made her form sloppy. Her teachers may have been fine swordsmen, but they had not taught her well. He let her keep attacking for a moment, blocking and parrying, letting her tire herself out.

He hadn't wielded his saber in combat in years, but it all came back to him right away, the weapon feeling like an extension of his arm, fending off the Inquisitor without difficulty.

Master Vader had been a fearsome opponent, even when he'd been purposefully holding back lest he accidentally kill Tao.

Zil'kari was nothing, and he refused to waste more time on her than he had to. He raised his blade, like he was about to do two-handed strike down.

"Die!" she shrieked, grinning and shifting her hold on her blade, aiming a thrust right at his middle that would've run him through...

...if he hadn't sidestepped the thrust, turned to the side and brought his blade down on her neck. He saw her eyes widen as she realised what was about to happen.

And then her presence in the Force was snuffed out. Her head hit the sand with open, unseeing eyes, her body following shortly after.

Tao watched her, panting. Such a kriffing damned waste.

"All you had to do was walk away," he muttered. "But no..."

"Zil!"

Hana cried out. She was on her stomach in the sand, Nani sitting on top of her, knees digging into her back, his hands still bound by the shackles, forcing her neck down. She seemed to pay him no mind, though, her focus entirely on the dead Inquisitor.

Were those...tears?

Tao touched his mind to hers and felt pain and anguish within her, horror at her commander's death.

Or...naybe something more?

Either way, good.

Now she got to feel what she and Zil'kari had threatened to do to Tao.

"You killed her! You bastard!" the woman cried out.

Tao turned away from Zil'kari's body and walked over to Hana and Nani. He still couldn't look at Nani's face, staring down at Hana instead.

"Nani," he said. "You can let her go now."

Nani didn't speak, quietly climbing off Hana's back.

"I gave you every chance to leave," Tao said quietly, slowly, carefully pulling the dark and light back into him, calming the tempest both within and without. "But you refused. You didn't talk sense into her. And now thirteen people are dead."

"Bastard!" Hana cried, tears running down her cheeks. "You could have let her live! Beaten her and let her live!"

"Should we make it fourteen?" Tao asked, bringing the saber closer to her face. "I'll make it quick."

"Tao..." Nani's voice said quietly.

"Was she the one who beat you, Nani?" Tao asked, holding Hana's gaze.

"No, she wasn't," Nani said.

Tao raised his blade. "Quick it is, then."

"Tao!" A green blur stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the downed trooper. Nani's eyes stared into his, freezing him in place. "Stop. Please. This isn't you."

Tao growled. "They hurt you," he said through gritted teeth.

"Yes," Nani said. "But that's no reason for you to murder them." He stepped a little closer, so close Tao could feel Nani's breath on his face. The heat of his body, entirely different from the scorching heat of the twin suns. "The others...you killed them in self-defence, but this would be _murder_ , Tao. Please, don't do it."

"I can't let her go—"

"You can!" Nani leaned forward, touching his forehead to Tao's. "That's what makes you different from them. What makes you _better_ than them."

All Tao could focus on was the feel of Nani's skin on his. Heat blossomed in his chest, but not that of anger. It felt different. Painful, but not. Sharp, yet...soft at the same time.

"I'm...not better," Tao said weakly.

"You are," Nani said. "The man I fell in love with is the best I've ever met."

The fire within him died, like it had been doused with water, leaving only smouldering embers. He deactivated his saber.

"L-Love?" he asked, staring at Nani with confusion.

"Yes, love," Nani replied. "I was...I was going to tell you, but then you came in shouting about Anchorhead and everything else...it didn't feel like the right time. I was going to when you came back, but...well, that didn't work out either, did it?"

"But..." Tao felt like he was about to pass out. Or throw up. Or both. "I don't...didn't you hear me? I am...I was Vader's apprentice!"

"I don't know what apprentice means in this context, but you're not anymore, are you?" Nani asked. "I don't know what happened, but you're not with him now. You're just Tao, space pirate."

He couldn't help but snort. "S-Still on about that, huh?"

"It's a good story for you," Nani said, smiling gently and bowing his head a little. "I...understand if you don't return my feelings, but..."

It didn't even occur to Tao to say that he didn't. Maybe that had been why he'd craved Nani's presence this whole time. Not just for his companionship and his ability to talk to people where Tao's social skills failed him. This strange painful yet painless heat...was that what it was?

He wanted...more. He wanted to feel Nani's forehead on his again. Wanted to feel the Twi'lek's arms around him, squeezing tightly. Wanted to...wanted to kiss him.

"Nani..." he said quietly. Nani refused to meet his gaze, head downcast, one _lekku_ hanging over his shoulder. Tao gently reached out, brushing the _lekku_ up and back over Nani's shoulder to its proper position. As he did so, he felt Nani shudder, a wave of... _want_ coming off him. "I...feel the same..." the words were hard to get out, but he forced them anyway. He had no intention of rejecting Nani, ever.

Nani's face came into view again, his cheeks slightly red. "You...you do?"

"Yeah," Tao said. "I...I do."

Nani grinned. "Took your sweet time to figure it out, huh?"

"I never claimed to be smart," he chuckled, looking over Nani's shoulder to Hana. "You—you can go. If I ever see you again, I will kill you."

She stared at him with hate in her eyes for a long moment before shuddering, slowly climbing to her feet, wincing from bruises left by Nani. She looked past them, at Zil'kari's body in the sand. She drew a deep, shuddering breath.

"Or maybe I'll kill _you_ ," she hissed before turning around and limping out the gate.

"There's nothing but desert that way," Nani called after her.

Hana didn't answer, continuing on her way without looking back.

The smart thing would be to kill her. To take her discarded blaster and shoot her in the back, like he'd done with that one trooper. Leaving loose threads was only going to get him killed, in the end. But then, he supposed the desert would do that for him.

One moment he was staring at Hana's retreating back, the next his view was blocked again by a smiling Twi'lek.

"Thank you," Nani said. "There's been enough death today."

Tao nodded. "Thank _you_ ," he said. "For bringing me back down."

Nani grinned, and then leaned forward, kissing him. It was short, and chaste, barely a little pressure against Tao's lips. But it was a kiss, and the warmth in spread to his chest, growing stronger.

He wanted more, and leaned in to kiss Nani back when he heard the high-pitched sound of a speeder approaching...and felt its occupant.

Luke really had the worst timing, but the boy didn't seem to notice that as his speeder came into view from around the south gate, coming to a stop just within, his eyes wide as he took in the chaos...and Tao and Nani standing right in the middle of it all.

Shutting down the speeder, Luke climbed out and ran over, careful to avoid pieces of debris from the detonator explosion and molten plastoid composite.

"What happened here?!" he asked, taking in the sight of Tao and Nani, and how close they stood. "Who are you?" he asked the Twi'lek.

"I'm Zennani, a friend of Tao's," Nani replied, grinning at the kid as Tao slowly shifted his stance so he was blocking the view of Zil'kari's body...or most of it, anyway. "What's your name?"

"Luke Skywalker," the boy said, eyes roaming the battlefield, particularly noticing the fact that several of the dead troopers weren't exactly in one piece. Tao felt surprise and a little horror in him, but no fear.

Luke was going to have to learn about this eventually—Tao had just hoped it'd be a gentler introduction to the life of a Force-sensitive under the Empire. Clearly he'd seen death before, but like this?

"These are Imperial troops," Luke said, finally noticing the Inquisitor's body behind Tao. "Did you do this?" he asked.

Tao swallowed; his mouth dry. "Uh...yeah, I did this," he said.

"In self-defence!" Nani quickly added. "They picked a fight, and Tao ended it!"

"How?" Luke asked. "There's...so many of them, and they've got blasters." He looked at Zil'kari's body again. "Her head's off!"

Tao's breathing was growing rapid. He had no idea how to handle this. How was he going to talk his way out of this situation without scaring Luke off? Maybe that was what he had to do? Convince Luke that he was dangerous—as were his own powers—and that the best way to live with them was to hide them?

No, that was impossible. The Empire would send more Inquisitors now that they'd lost one of their novices. They'd scour the planet, looking for the ones responsible, and they'd undoubtedly find Luke.

Coming to Tatooine had been a mistake. He'd put not only himself in danger, but Nani and Luke as well.

"It's a long story," he heard himself say. "And one I'll gladly tell you later, Luke, but right now we have to leave. There'll be more of them!" He grabbed Nani's hand and strode over to Luke's speeder, grabbing Luke's shoulder along the way and dragging him along.

"What? I'm not going anywhere!" Luke said, tearing out of Tao's hold. "I'm not the one who did this!"

"No," Tao said, pausing. "You're not. But they'll come after you anyway, because...because..."

How did one even say it? How did one reveal to a kid that he was born with a power that made him a target to the rulers of the Galaxy—that earned him either a slow, painful death at the hands of torturers or having his identity erased and his brain washed until he joined them?

"Tao," Nani said quietly. "Is this him? The one you were looking for?"

"Yeah," Tao said, Luke's face screwing up in confusion.

"What?" he asked. "What are you talking about? You said you didn't think we were family—"

"And we're not," Tao said quickly. "But we _are_ related in a different way. A way that makes us targets of the Empire. They were here for me," he said, gesturing to the dead bodies littering the streets, "but they'd happily grab you as well, Luke. And they'll only send more, and if you're here when they come, they'll find you."

Luke's eyes widened. "Th-That's fine," he said, eyes determined. "I'll go home, then. They'll have no reason to come looking out there—"

"They won't need to come looking," Tao said. "They'll know you're there."

"How? Would they even find me?!"

"The same way _I_ found you!" Tao exclaimed, wishing the kid would stop resisting and just _listen_. "Luke, the reason I came to Anchorhead was because I felt you all the way to Mos Eisley."

"Felt me?" the boy said, looking horrified.

Right, phrasing was a bit of a problem here, Tao realised.

"Last week," Tao said slowly. "Late at night, you were angry. So...so angry that you felt like you were losing control, right? Angrier than you'd ever been?"

Luke's eyes widened further as he slowly nodded. "I...I got into a fight with Uncle Owen," he said. "Over going to the Academy. He said it was out of the question, and I just...lost it. But...how did you know?"

"When you lost control, it caused a disturbance in the Force—which I felt."

"The Force?"

Nani was the one who asked that. "Is that what lets you do your...things?" he said. "The mind thing, and the jumps?"

"Yes," Tao said, nodding. "It's a...type of energy that surrounds every living thing. People like me are called Force-sensitives, and with training we can draw upon it to give us strength and other abilities." He looked back to Luke. "You're Force-sensitive, Luke, and that's how I felt you. I'm pretty sure you can feel me too, but you can't really explain it, right? I'm different, somehow."

Luke nodded again. "You're...interesting," he said. "I noticed it when I passed you at Tosche Station, but I didn't think much of it, but when Biggs mentioned you were looking for family, I thought maybe there was some sort of bond or...but you're saying that it's because I've got powers?"

"Potential for powers," Tao corrected him. "With proper training, yes."

"Is that why you came here? To train me?" Luke was starting get excited now, a swirling vortex starting to supplant his confusion.

"I came to warn you," Tao said, trying to drag them both over to the speeder again, happy to see that the boy wasn't as resistant now. "To keep yourself hidden. The Empire hunts people like us."

"Why?"

"Another long story, but suffice to say you do _not_ want to end up in their hands. You'll wind up either dead or brainwashed, continuing the hunt." He paused. "The Academy was never going to be an option for you," he said sadly. "The Imps would have sniffed you out within weeks and hauled you off to the Inquisition."

They'd reached the speeder, but Luke wasn't about to climb into it, and Tao was starting to feel anxiety eating at him. They couldn't stay here any longer—more Inquisitors would be on the way.

"And that's all the questions I have time for," he said, gesturing to the speeder. "Get in, both of you!"

"Where are we going, Tao?" Nani asked, looking as doubtful as Luke at the moment. "We're not about to become kidnappers, are we?"

"We have to get off Tatooine," Tao explained, looking around. Didn't one of those bastards have his pack...? Ah, yes. His discarded pack lay near one of the dead troopers, and he called it to him with a flick of the Force, the thing flying through the air to both Nani and Luke's amazement.

That is, until his words caught up with them.

"Wait, _off_ Tatooine?" Luke asked.

"Off-world?!" Nani asked at the same time.

"Yes, as far away as we can possibly get," Tao said, tossing the pack into the back of Luke's speeder. "Before the Inquisition comes swarming."

"Tao, listen to yourself," Nani said soothingly. "You're panicking."

"Only because I know what will happen!" he exclaimed. "Nani, you heard me before. What I used to be! I know exactly how these things work! We have at best a few days before they're here!"

Fear had taken hold in both Luke and Nani by now, but Tao wasn't sure if it was _him_ they were afraid of or what he was warning them about.

He didn't care. If they didn't understand the seriousness of the situation, he'd have to make them understand. He sighed and put his hands on the hood of the speeder, breathing out and in, collecting his thoughts.

"They'll come in force," he said, closing his eyes. "There'll be several of them—brothers and sisters of the Inquisition. Elites, unlike the one over there, and shock troopers."

He didn't need to open his eyes to know Nani and Luke were looking at Zil'kari's body.

"They'll lock down every spaceport on the planet, preventing anyone from leaving. And then they'll sweep the whole thing. They'll take their time, hunting down anyone who is even the smallest bit sensitive to the Force. They'll kill the ones they find useless, and forcibly recruit the ones who aren't. They'll take them back to Nur, to their fortress there, and torture them until they either break...or die."

He opened his eyes again, looking at Luke, and then at Nani. "They'll kill you, Nani," he said, nausea filling him at the thought. "And they'll take you, Luke. They'll take you and turn you into a weapon of the Empire. If you try to hide, they'll find you and kill anyone who gets in your way. All you can do is run and keep your head down." He closed his eyes again, wishing the dark oblivion would just take him. "And it's all my fault, all of this," he admitted. "I chose Tatooine at random to hide on, but clearly they followed me here. I shouldn't have come to Anchorhead."

"Tao—"Nani began.

"I didn't give either of you a choice in this," Tao interrupted. "And I can't afford to do so now, either. I'm the only one who can keep you safe, and—"

He cut himself off. Another Force signature was approaching them, quickly, tendrils reaching out and prodding, seeking out...something. Luke. They were looking for Luke.

They'd take him over Tao's dead body.

"Someone's coming," he growled, drawing his saber again. "Get back!"

In the distance, a dust cloud was being picked up as some sort of vehicle approached Anchorhead at high speed, coming from the south-east. Single occupant, the sunlight shining off metal surfaces. Tao clenched his jaw. This one was strong. He could tell even from here. Nothing like the Inquisitor.

"Nani, take Luke and run," he said. "I'll hold them off. Find some way off the planet. Anything you have to do, do it."

"I'm not leaving," Nani said. "You're not doing this alone."

"I'm the only one who can!" Tao shouted. "Luke!"

"No!"

Force save him from stubborn Twi'leks and teenagers. He was about to use a mind trick on them when Luke suddenly made a surprised sound.

"Wait! Tao, I know that guy! I recognise his bike!"

"Eh?"

"He's not dangerous, I promise!"

Tao highly doubted that. Whoever was coming was formidable judging by their presence alone, and he wasn't all too keen on finding out what they could do. As they came closer, he saw that the driver was wearing brown, hooded robes, suitable for rough living out in the desert.

Anxiously gripping the hilt of his lightsaber, Tao stepped into the desert, blocking the path to Luke and Nani.

The bike slowed down and came to a stop about a hundred meters away from him, the driver climbing off and striding in a no-nonsense way towards Tao. That was...good? Meant they were maybe willing to talk? Maybe Tao could convince him that he was the only Force-sensitive here, and to leave Nani and Luke alone...

A few paces away, the driver stopped, hood still up, hiding their face from view. They were purposefully letting their power flow, letting Tao know in no uncertain terms what they could do.

Oddly enough, Tao felt no darkness coming from the newcomer. Only light...but it was a harsh kind. One that showed no mercy to those who did not deserve it.

"Step away from the boy," a male voice spoke firmly, directed towards Nani, his tone edged with steel. "Luke, come here."

"Ben!" Luke said, smiling. "It's okay, they're friends!"

The newcomer—Ben—raised his head a little, revealing a white beard covering his chin.

"Friends?" he asked. "And where did they come from, if I may ask?" As he spoke, Ben lowered his hand. A lightsaber hilt fell from his sleeve and into his hand. A clear warning.

"Off-world," Tao said. "And we're leaving."

Ben turned his head, taking in the chaos behind them. "A wise decision, I would say. The Empire does not take kindly to those who murder their troops."

"It was in self-defence," Tao said.

"They were after you?"

"Yes."

"Your name?"

"Tao."

"That is not a name I recognise," Ben said. Tao felt him prodding at his presence, a closer examination than the waves from before. "Hm," he hummed. "You walk a fine line, boy. You realise this?"

"I'm in control," Tao said, still gripping his saber.

"Ben," Luke piped up. "What's going on?"

"Your friends are leaving, Luke," Ben said, his stance relaxing a little, the oppressive pressure of his power easing off. "And I suppose we are going with them."

"What?!"

Ben replaced his saber within his sleeve and reached up, removing his hood.

Tao gasped. He recognised that face. It was older now, more weathered, the hair aged to grey prematurely, but the lines, the nose, the eyes...he'd seen the holos more times than he could count, heard tales of his exploits.

A living legend was standing in front of Tao, and all he could say was...

"Master Kenobi?!"

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hero of the Republic, gave Tao a narrow-eyed look.

"I haven't been called that in a long time," he said. "Though for now, I believe I will be asking the questions. And believe me, young one, I have quite a few of them. But first..." He turned to Luke. "We will need to pay a visit to your uncle's farm, Luke, and let him know that we will be departing Tatooine immediately."

The kid looked torn somewhere between ecstatic and despondent but nodded anyway. "I don't think he'll let me go," he said.

"He will," Master Kenobi said firmly, like he had no doubt whatsoever about that fact. He then looked at Nani, subjecting him to the same examination as he had Tao and, apparently not finding him particularly interesting, gave a quick nod. No threat, it seemed.

Ignoring Nani's confused nod back, Master Kenobi turned his attention back to Tao as Luke and Nani climbed into the speeder.

"Now then," he said, "since we'll be in transit for a bit, care to explain how you managed to blow a cover I've been maintaining for the past fifteen years?"

Tao gulped.

He really had the worst luck.


	10. Epilogue

It hadn't been easy, but a few days later Tao could breathe out in relief as their ship entered hyperspace, the stars turning into a brilliantly glowing tunnel of light around them as they left Tatooine far behind.

Luke was enraptured, sitting in the co-pilot's seat, asking the smuggler captain they had hired a million and one questions all at the same time, with Kenobi occasionally telling him to calm down in an amused tone, undoubtedly fond of the boy.

Luke was taking leaving his home, family and friends behind rather well, but Tao supposed he was just on a delay, with so much having happened in such a short amount of time. He'd come crashing down sooner or later.

Tao certainly felt like he was about to crash himself as he excused himself from the cockpit, wandering through the cramped corridor to the ship's common area, where Nani was sitting on a slightly dirty sofa, looking a little lost.

Tao sank into the sofa beside him, staring at the worn interior of the ship. It had clearly seen better days—an old Corellian freighter of some sort named _The Outrider_ —piloted by a man Tao wouldn't trust as far as he could throw him. Luckily, Master Kenobi handled the negotiation, convincing Captain Rendar that he'd make the trip worth it.

"As long as your money's good, I'll take you wherever you need," the captain had said, asking his co-pilot—a droid named Leebo—to check their credits.

Tao didn't sense any deception from the smuggler, but he wasn't about to take his eyes off him either.

"Hey, you," Nani said, drawing Tao out of his thoughts, smiling at him. "How're you holding up?"

Tao huffed. "I should be asking you that," he replied.

"I'm good, all things considered," Nani said, still smiling. "Just...settling in, I guess. Everything changed so fast." He shook his head, adjusting his bound _lekku_. Tao wanted to run his fingers along them, but Nani had told him that was only something for intimate moments. "But we're not talking about me."

Tao groaned.

Truth be told, even to him everything over the past few days had been a blur. The confrontation with Zil'kari, making sure Nani and Luke were all right, and then the sudden appearance of Master Kenobi had taken a lot out of him, and he'd been happy to leave most of the logistics to the old Jedi. He'd simply let himself be carried along by the current.

"I was just trying to hide," he said, running a hand through his hair. It felt greasy. He needed a fresher, badly. "I didn't mean for all this to happen."

"It's not like you did it on purpose," Nani said soothingly, shuffling closer and resting his head on Tao's shoulder.

"Even so, I objectively made everyone's lives worse by dragging you all into this."

"Objectively?" Nani said, reaching down and taking Tao's right hand in his left, intertwining their fingers. "I wouldn't say that. I don't know about Luke or Mister Kenobi, but I can't say I was _enjoying_ my life in Mos Eisley very much. I got by, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't dream of something else."

"Oh, and getting beaten by stormtroopers and forced to flee the planet was part of your dreams?" Tao asked.

Nani squeezed his hand a little hard. "I don't mind a little pain," he said teasingly. "And what can I say, running a blockade was just as exciting in real life as it seems in the holos."

Tao smiled. "Wasn't really a blockade," he said. "Just a squad of troopers easily distracted."

"Don't ruin my fun," Nani grumbled, leaning more of his weight onto Tao. It was a comforting pressure, the warmth coming off his body seeping into Tao's very bones. Nani wiggled closer. "Space is cold," he complained.

"It is," Tao agreed, snuggling a little closer as well.

"So, what's next?" Nani asked. "I hope this master of yours has a plan."

"He's not my master," Tao said. "But...yeah, I hope so too."

Beyond Kenobi's decision that they head for Nar Shaddaa in Hutt Space and lay low for a while, disappearing into the massive city, Tao had no idea what they were going to do.

He'd assumed that Kenobi would take Luke and leave Tao and Nani to their own devices, but he'd insisted they come along as well. Tao, he could understand. He was probably the first Force-sensitive besides Luke that Kenobi had met in years, but Nani?

So here they were, en route to Nar Shaddaa and a very uncertain future.

"It's not like I'm bound to them in any way," he told Nani. "I suppose we could just part ways when we get to Nar Shaddaa. Kenobi can protect Luke on his own."

 _Should_ protect Luke on his own, Tao added to himself. I'm too dangerous for Luke to be around.

"And what will _we_ do, then?" Nani asked.

Tao pretended not to be too relieved at the word _we_ coming from Nani. He wasn't sure if the Twi'lek would still want to be with him after all this.

"Anything we want, I guess," he said with a shrug. "We could go anywhere...well, not the Core...but anywhere else."

"I like the sound of that," Nani said. "Maybe we could get a ship. Become smugglers or pirates."

Tao laughed. "You really like pirates, don't you?"

"They don't play by anyone's rules and answer to no one," Nani said. "How could I not?"

"We'll see," Tao said, squeezing Nani's hand. "Together?"

"Together," Nani confirmed. "I'm not letting you go anytime soon."

"Likewise."

"I hate to interrupt," Master Kenobi said as he entered the living quarters, his tone suggesting he loved nothing more than to do just that. "But we need to talk. Zennani, could you give us a moment?"

Tao froze. He'd dreaded this moment ever since Kenobi had revealed himself. He would have questions for Tao. Many of them. Most of them about where the hell he'd come from, where'd been, who'd trained him...

"I'll have Luke teach me a bit about piloting," Nani said, rising regretfully from the sofa. "Just call out if you need me," he told Tao firmly, giving Kenobi a pointed look before heading for the cockpit.

Kenobi waited until he was gone before sighing and lowering himself into a chair on the other side of the small table.

"I'm sorry," Tao said pre-emptively.

Kenobi blinked. "What for?" he asked.

"For blowing your cover," Tao clarified. "I never got a chance to, what with us leaving so quickly. I didn't know you were hiding on Tatooine. If I had, I'd have chosen somewhere else."

Kenobi looked amused. "I was not hiding on Tatooine, Tao," he said. "I was there to protect Luke. I suppose you could call it a voluntary exile."

"How did you find him?" Tao asked.

"I didn't find him," the older man said. "I was present at the moment of his birth, and I have protected him ever since."

There really was no avoiding the next question Tao had. "Who is he?"

Kenobi closed his mouth, taking a moment to think. "Someone of great importance," he said. "More important than you could possibly imagine."

"He's related to Vader, isn't he?"

"You know, I was rather hoping to be the one asking the questions here," Kenobi said, looking tense. "Why would you think that?"

"They feel very similar," Tao said. "In the Force."

"And you've been close enough to Vader to know what his presence is like?"

"I was his apprentice," Tao said, not missing how Kenobi immediately froze, unprepared for the truth. "It was unavoidable."

Kenobi looked at him with sharp eyes that belonged to a much younger man. The eyes of a general, Tao supposed, assessing. "Was," he said. "Past tense."

"He sent me away," Tao said, ignoring the sting in his chest at the rejection. Five years, and it still felt fresh when he thought about it. "I wasn't strong enough, apparently."

"And since then?"

"I've been wandering. Hiding from the Inquisition. No one knew about me."

"How long?"

"Five years, give or take."

All the while they talked, Tao felt Kenobi poking and prodding at him with the Force. What for, he didn't know. Some way of seeing if he was telling the truth, perhaps.

"Why was Vader training you?" Kenobi asked.

"I don't know," Tao said. "He never said. He took me from the battlefield and began to train me. All he ever told me was that he had a use for me, and that I needed to be strong."

"Where?"

"Shumari," Tao said. Kenobi nodded.

"I know of it. A beautiful planet."

"Glass, now."

Kenobi cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Your master? Before Vader."

"Master Rethera," Tao supplied. "He died on Shumari."

Kenobi leaned back in his seat, taking in the information. "I knew Master Rethera. He was a good man. He took a group of younglings with him when the temple was attacked. You were among them?"

"I think so," Tao said. "I've...forgotten most of my life before Shumari. I remembered your name from Master Rethera's holos. He kept showing us your image, telling us that your example is what we should aspire to be as Jedi. The next thing I know, he's on the ground, bleeding, dying, begging me to live on." Tao huffed. "I had no intention of that. I was so angry, hateful. I saw Vader on the battlefield and saw my chance. I was injured, my hand a mangled mess, blood in my eyes...I guess he found it amusing and took me in on a whim."

He released a shuddering breath, cold sweat on his back. He hadn't really thought about that day on Shumari for a long time. Dreamt about, certainly, but never purposefully reliving it.

He regarded Master Kenobi with a curious look. "He's strong in the Force," he said. "Luke, I mean. But is that enough of a reason to guard him for fifteen years?"

"Every Force-sensitive child is precious," Kenobi said. "But apart from that, yes. He is the son of Anakin Skywalker." At Tao's blank stare, Kenobi sighed. "One of the greatest Jedi who ever lived. He was betrayed and destroyed by your old master, Darth Vader."

Anakin Skywalker...the name sounded familiar, but Tao couldn't put his finger on why that was. Was it a name from before Shumari? If he was so great, why hadn't Master Rethera spoken of Anakin Skywalker in the same awed as he had Obi-Wan Kenobi?

And it didn't explain why Luke felt so much like Master Vader.

That is...unless...

Kenobi must have realised where his thoughts were going, nodding slowly.

"His—that is, _ours_ —is a long story," Kenobi said, rubbing his eyes, revealing a sign of tiredness for the first time in two days. "And not one I feel up for telling you right now. Luke deserves to know as well, but I would rather you keep it to yourself for now. The timing for him to learn needs to be right."

"How do you know I won't tell him?" Tao asked, his head starting to feel fuzzy from fatigue and information overload. "Surely you don't trust me already."

"Trust is not the right word," Kenobi agreed, nodding. "Not yet. But...I see potential in you. Potential that surely Vader saw as well."

"And?" Tao asked. "What is this great potential of mine that everyone sees but apparently gives up on?"

"I don't know yet," Kenobi said cryptically. "But I'd like to find out. I suspect it has to do with the duality within you. I see light and dark in equal measure, but not in flux. They are kept apart, separate and under control, and that's where you strength comes from, I believe. I have only met one other Jedi who was able to walk such a fine line."

"Who was he?" Tao asked.

"The man who taught me," Kenobi said. "I will tell you about him, one day."

"One day?" Tao said, snorting. As if they would be together for very long. "If you say so. Also, I'm not a Jedi, so please don't call me that."

Kenobi regarded him curiously. "Yes, I suppose you're not a Jedi. Yet."

Wait, yet?

"What does that mean?" Tao said.

Kenobi smiled and stood up, heading back for the cockpit. "It means that I'll have two padawans to teach from now on."

Tao wanted to go after him, demand that he explain himself, but another wave of fatigue came over him, and he remained on the sofa, staring after Master Kenobi, wondering what the hell he'd just gotten himself into. Only when Nani returned could he let go.

"So, Mister Kenobi told me the news," the Twi'lek said, slotting himself against Tao's side again. "A new teacher, huh?"

"Apparently," Tao said, defeated.

"Guess we'll have to shelve our pirate plan for a bit," Nani said, flashing Tao a sharp grin. "Back to school for you, mister."

Tao snorted. "That's not funny," he said.

"But you're smiling," Nani pointed out.

"Because you're here," Tao said.

Nani looked taken aback, his cheeks turning a little red. "That was smooth," he said, leaning closer so their foreheads were touching. "Been studying up on flirting, have we?"

"Just saying what comes to mind," Tao said, closing his eyes and enjoying the contact.

"Hm," Nani hummed, "keep doing that, okay?"

Their lips met in a kiss, gentle and undemanding, exploring. They separated and looked into each other's eyes.

"I don't know what will happen next," Nani said, smiling. "But I know we'll be okay, because we'll be together. Right?"

"Yeah," Tao said, smiling back as his whole body filled with warmth. "Together."

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
